Local & Community
Riverside County to destroy Prop 50 ballots once seized by Sheriff Bianco
Around 650,000 Riverside County ballots at the center of Sheriff Chad Bianco’s Proposition 50 investigation will be destroyed today, the Riverside County Registrar of Voters confirmed to NBC Palm Springs Tuesday.
The county says state law requires it, and the green light came in part from the same office that took Bianco to court. In a statement, County Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen said the county asked the California Department of Justice and the Secretary of State’s office for written guidance on what to do with the ballots after they were returned. The Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Rob Bonta, told the county it has finished reviewing Bianco’s investigation and has no objection to the ballots being handled under state law. The Secretary of State’s office told the county the ballots must be destroyed under section 17302(c) of the California Elections Code. Van Wagenen said an independent legal review also confirmed the county’s obligation before it moved forward.
The ballots, cast by Riverside County voters in the November 2025 statewide special election, will be destroyed at the registrar’s office in Riverside. The destruction will happen behind closed doors, and media will not be allowed inside.
Bianco seized the ballots in February as part of an investigation into possible ballot count discrepancies raised by a Riverside County citizens group, though election officials disputed those claims, saying the discrepancy came from a misunderstanding of election data. Bonta sued, arguing Bianco defied his orders to stop the investigation, and Riverside Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes brought a separate challenge over the seizure itself. In September, the California Supreme Court unanimously sided with both, ruling the seizure violated state election law and ordering Bianco to return the ballots and end his investigation. The registrar got the ballots back on September 29.
Bianco first shared news of the destruction Monday in a letter to supporters of his 2028 campaign for sheriff, saying his attorney told him the ballots were scheduled to be destroyed. In the letter, Bianco says this is what Bonta wanted, for “trust in our elections to be buried, along with any evidence of a crime.” He argues the Supreme Court’s ruling now gives the attorney general “the authority to shut down any investigation he wants,” calling it “a corrupt legal system that now allows destruction of evidence.” Bianco has not said whether he plans to take any further action.
Registrar Art Tinoco is not available for interviews as his office prepares for the November 3 General Election. “The County remains committed to secure, accurate, transparent, and lawful elections. We have confidence in Registrar Art Tinoco and the dedicated professionals in the Registrar of Voters office, who continue to carry out their responsibilities while preparing for the November 3 General Election,” Van Wagenen said.
The ballots are expected to be destroyed by the end of the day.
By: Harrison Bluto
October 13, 2026
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