California Supreme Court orders sheriff to return seized ballots in voter fraud probe

The California Supreme Court ruled that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco's seizure of ~650,000 ballots in a voter fraud investigation was unlawful, ordering him to return them and refrain from further handling. The ballots were taken from a November 2025 special election on redistricting, which passed statewide. This marks a judicial rebuke of a local official's conduct, reinforcing legal limits on election interference.