California Supreme Court to consider new law involving seized election ballots

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is headed to San Francisco Monday as the California Supreme Court hears oral arguments in two cases tied to his investigation into alleged election irregularities and the seizure of Riverside County ballots.

The special session is scheduled for 10 a.m. Aug. 24.

One case, Cervantes v. Bianco, centers on whether ballots seized by the sheriff’s department should be returned to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters. The court will also consider the impact of a 2025 California law, Senate Bill 73, on the seizure of cast ballots.

The second case was brought by California Attorney General Rob Bonta. It raises questions about the attorney general’s authority to supervise and direct a county sheriff — including whether Bonta can order Bianco to stop the election investigation.

The court will also consider whether search warrants connected to the investigation can be quashed or stayed if they were issued in violation of the attorney general’s directives or were otherwise legally deficient.

The legal fight stems from Bianco’s investigation into alleged discrepancies involving ballots from the November 2025 special election. The sheriff’s department seized roughly 650,000 ballots from the Riverside County Registrar of Voters earlier this year.

The California Supreme Court’s hearing is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Monday at the Ronald M. George State Office Complex in San Francisco. The court is also providing a livestream of the proceedings.