{"publisher":{"name":"MediaBias News","url":"https://mediabias.news","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology","editorialPrinciples":"https://mediabias.news/editorial-principles","corrections":"https://mediabias.news/corrections"},"scoreGuide":{"trust":"How well corroborated and evidenced the source reporting is. 0-100, higher is better.","critic":"Craft quality of the source journalism: context, balance, fact vs comment. 0-100, higher is better.","hype":"How far the source presentation runs ahead of substance. 0-100, LOWER IS BETTER.","scope":"Scores assess the original reporting this article was written from, not the truth of the underlying event and not the quality of this write-up."},"assessmentGuide":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"story":{"id":"https://mediabias.news/politics/california-supreme-court-orders-sheriff-to-return-seized-ballots","slug":"california-supreme-court-orders-sheriff-to-return-seized-ballots","url":"https://mediabias.news/politics/california-supreme-court-orders-sheriff-to-return-seized-ballots","title":"California Supreme Court Orders Sheriff to Return Seized Ballots","subtitle":"Court rules Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco unlawfully seized 650,000 ballots from a special election.","excerpt":"The California Supreme Court has ordered Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to return approximately 650,000 ballots seized from a November 2025 special election. The court ruled Bianco's seizure was unlawful, siding with the state's Attorney General Rob Bonta.","category":"Politics","area":"United States","publishedAt":"2026-09-24T19:05:29.045Z","sourceReportedAt":"2026-09-24T18:00:50.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-24T19:05:29.045Z","readTime":"3 min read","scores":{"trust":60,"critic":65,"hype":45,"notes":{"trust":"Two full reports and 23 digests corroborate the central claim, with specific figures and attribution.","critic":"Reporting is clear and holds together, with affected parties and context provided.","hype":"Headlines are direct, but some use loaded language like 'massive election fraud investigation'."}},"tags":["#ElectionLaw","#CaliforniaPolitics","#BallotSecurity","#SupremeCourt","#ElectionIntegrity"],"entities":["Chad Bianco","Rob Bonta","California Supreme Court","Riverside County","Gavin Newsom","UCLA Voting Rights Project"],"body":[{"type":"key_takeaways","items":["The California Supreme Court has ordered Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to return about 650,000 ballots seized from a November 2025 special election.","Sheriff Bianco seized the ballots as part of a criminal investigation following a complaint about the vote count, though election officials stated the complaint was unfounded.","The court ruled Bianco's seizure was unlawful, upholding legal challenges brought by Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta and the UCLA Voting Rights Project.","Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill that would prevent similar ballot seizures in the future."]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The California Supreme Court has ordered Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to return approximately 650,000 ballots seized from a November 2025 special election. The court unanimously ruled that Bianco's seizure of the ballots was unlawful and that he must refrain from further handling of the materials. Bianco, a Republican, had seized the ballots in February as part of a criminal investigation after a citizens group complained the vote count was inaccurate. Local election officials had previously stated the complaint was unfounded."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta launched a legal challenge, arguing the sheriff lacked the authority to seize election materials and that the action was intended to sow distrust in the electoral process. The University of California, Los Angeles Voting Rights Project also sued the sheriff on behalf of Riverside County voters. The court heard arguments in both cases last month. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill that would prevent anyone from seizing ballots in the manner Sheriff Bianco did."},{"type":"heading","text":"Disagreement on Sheriff's Authority"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The California Supreme Court ruled that Sheriff Bianco's seizure of ballots was unlawful. Spectrum News reported that Bianco's representative, Bradley Hertz, argued the sheriff had a legal duty to open a criminal investigation and followed the penal code by issuing search warrants. Hertz stated Bianco had not returned the ballots because they were considered \"evidence.\""},{"type":"heading","text":"What the coverage left out"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"None of the right-rated reports mention the University of California, Los Angeles Voting Rights Project's lawsuit against Sheriff Bianco on behalf of Riverside County voters. None of the right-rated reports mention the specific date Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill preventing ballot seizures."}],"basedOn":[{"sourceName":"randomlengthsnews.com","url":"https://randomlengthsnews.com/archives/2026/09/24/unlawfully-seized-ballots/77696","headline":"California Sheriff Unlawfully Seized Over 650,000 Ballots Court Rules","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-09-24T18:42:13.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Telemundo 52","url":"https://telemundo52.com/noticias/local/corte-suprema-de-california-ordena-al-sheriff-del-condado-de-riverside-devolver-boletas-electorales-incautadas/2898907","headline":"California Supreme Court Orders Riverside County Sheriff to Return Seized Ballots","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-09-24T18:36:21.000Z"},{"sourceName":"NBC News","url":"https://nbcnews.com/politics/elections/california-supreme-court-orders-gop-sheriff-return-650000-ballots-rcna599695","headline":"California Supreme Court orders GOP sheriff to return 650,000 seized 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over 650,000 ballots and must return them, state Supreme Court rules","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-09-24T18:27:39.000Z"},{"sourceName":"abc 7 LA","url":"https://abc7.com/post/california-supreme-court-orders-riverside-county-sheriff-chad-bianco-return-650000-seized-ballots/19866667","headline":"California Supreme Court orders Riverside County Sheriff Bianco to return 650,000 seized ballots","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-09-24T18:16:30.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Gateway Pundit","url":"https://thegatewaypundit.com/2026/09/california-supreme-court-rules-against-sheriff-bianco-massive","headline":"California Supreme Court Rules Against Sheriff Bianco in Massive Election Fraud Investigation Related to Seizure of 650,000 Ballots * The Gateway Pundit * by Cristina Laila","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-09-24T18:00:50.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Joe.My.God.","url":"https://joemygod.com/2026/09/maga-ca-sheriff-must-return-650000-seized-ballots","headline":"MAGA CA Sheriff Must Return 650,000 Seized Ballots","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-09-24T18:00:15.000Z"},{"sourceName":"WFMZ","url":"https://wfmz.com/news/ap/ap-national/california-supreme-court-orders-riverside-county-sheriff-to-return-650-000-seized-ballots/article_75ae5773-36bf-50d0-8cac-30a55c02bf0a.html","headline":"California Supreme Court orders Riverside County sheriff to return 650,000 seized ballots","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-09-24T17:56:51.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Los Angeles Times","url":"https://latimes.com/california/story/2026-09-24/california-supreme-court-ruling-ballot-seizure","headline":"Ballot seizure by Riverside County sheriff was 'unlawful,' California Supreme Court rules","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-09-24T17:55:37.052Z"},{"sourceName":"Spectrum News","url":"http://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/politics/2026/09/24/california-supreme-court-riverside-county-sheriff-seized-ballots","headline":"California Supreme Court orders return of seized 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ballots","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-09-24T17:40:04.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Bloomberg Law","url":"https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/california-high-court-says-sheriff-must-shut-down-ballot-inquiry","headline":"California High Court Says Sheriff Must End Ballot Inquiry (1)","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-09-24T17:38:45.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Independent","url":"https://independent.co.uk/news/riverside-county-san-francisco-southern-california-donald-trump-gavin-newsom-b3055952.html","headline":"California Supreme Court orders Riverside County sheriff to return 650,000 seized ballots","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-09-24T17:36:23.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Independent (US)","url":"https://the-independent.com/news/riverside-county-san-francisco-southern-california-donald-trump-gavin-newsom-b3055952.html","headline":"California Supreme Court orders Riverside County sheriff to return 650,000 seized ballots","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-09-24T17:36:23.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Bangor 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