California GOP sheriff who's running for governor seizes ballots from 2025 election
nbcnews.com/politics/elections/california-gop-sheriff-running-governor-seizes-ballots-2025-election-rcna264710
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California Sheriff Seizes Ballots Over Fraud ClaimsRiverside County’s sheriff took 650,000 ballots from the 2025 election amid claims of a 45,000-vote tally discrepancy.
Key FactsMar 23, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: nbcnews.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: nbcnews.com
- Sheriff Chad Bianco, a GOP gubernatorial candidate, confiscated over 650,000 ballots from the 2025 Riverside County special election.
- His probe followed a citizen audit alleging 45,000 more votes than the official count certified by election workers.
- Election officials reported only a 103-ballot variance, attributing it to human error rather than fraud.
- Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta condemned the effort as baseless and raised concerns about ballot integrity risks.
I think it's time we put a felon in the White House," he said. "Trump 2024, baby. Let's save this country and make America great again."— Chad Bianco, Riverside County Sheriff, during a Friday news conference about his investigation into the 2025 election ballots
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county seat of Riverside County, California, United States
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