CA Sheriff Seizes 650K Ballots, Vows Physical Recount in Election Probe

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a GOP gubernatorial candidate, announced the seizure of about 650,000 ballots from California’s November election as part of a vote-count probe and said he will conduct a physical recount. State officials, including Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta, questioned his authority and criticized the move, while Bianco argues the investigation is straightforward. The Riverside Election Integrity Team’s claim of excess votes is disputed by county officials, illustrating deep tensions over election integrity in California.