California Supreme Court orders Sheriff Chad Bianco to return approximately 650,000 seized ballots

Courts and the administration

Political Guyentist · September 25, 20261 min read

Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff, previously ran for California governor.

The California Supreme Court ruled on Sept. 24 that Bianco’s seizure was “unlawful” and ordered the ballots returned.

Still open. The supplied reports do not say when the ballots must be returned or whether Bianco has complied.

How we got herethe story so far

2025 — A ballot-measure vote led to the two cases decided on Sept. 24, 2026.
Earlier in 2026 — Bianco seized the ballots that the court has now ordered him to return.

What we’re less sure of1 of 4 claims

Medium
The court ruled unanimously in two cases arising from a 2025 ballot-measure vote.
The story explicitly attributes these details to The Washington Post; no second source is identified as corroborating these particular details.