California Supreme Court rules Sheriff Bianco’s Prop. 50 ballot seizure was unlawful, orders ballots returned to Riverside County registrar

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KESQ) The California Supreme Court is set to release its decision at 10 a.m. today in Attorney General Rob Bonta's case against Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco over his seizure of ballots cast by Riverside County voters in the November 2025 Proposition 50 special election.

This story will be updated as soon as the ruling is released.

The court posted a notice Wednesday morning saying the opinion in Bonta v. Bianco will be filed Thursday, Sept. 24, at 10 a.m. The same notice says the court will also rule on Cervantes v. Bianco, a companion case from four Riverside County voters who want the ballots returned to the registrar.

The case centers on whether Bianco can restart his investigation into the special election. The ruling could also set the rules for how far any California sheriff can go in taking ballots from elections officials.

How we got here

Bianco's deputies seized the ballots from the Riverside County Registrar of Voters under three search warrants served between February and March. The sheriff said he was investigating claims from a local citizens group that the number of votes counted didn't match poll worker records. County officials dispute the group's math.

Bonta ordered Bianco to stand down, arguing the sheriff overstepped his authority. On April 8, the Supreme Court took the case, ordered Bianco to pause his investigation and required him to preserve everything he seized. The Sheriff's Office told News Channel 3 in June it still has the ballots.

The justices heard both cases Aug. 24 at a special session in San Francisco.

What the court is deciding

The central question is how much power the attorney general holds over an elected county sheriff. The state constitution gives the attorney general direct supervision over every sheriff in California. Bianco argues the attorney general can't shut down a criminal investigation a judge approved.

The court also asked both sides to address Senate Bill 73, a new state law signed in May that restricts law enforcement from taking ballots from elections officials.

What happens after the ruling

A Supreme Court decision doesn't become final for 30 days. During that time, either side can ask the court to rehear the case.

This is a developing story and will be updated with additional info as it becomes available.