FirstAlerts

California Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Riverside Sheriff's Ballot Seizure Case

The state's high court took up the case of Cervantes v. Bianco over the seizure of roughly 650,000 ballots, with sources differing on the document type and the attorney general's allegations.

2 reports on this incident · first at Aug 24, 2026, 10:50 a.m. ET

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 24, 2026, 9:11 a.m. ETUpdated Aug 24, 2026, 4:24 p.m. ET
The California Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of , a matter involving Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, according to NBC Bay Area and KTVU. The case concerns the seizure of ballots in Riverside County, with KTVU reporting that arguments were set to begin and NBC Bay Area reporting that arguments were heard. Sheriff Bianco legally seized roughly 650,000 ballots cast in last year's statewide redistricting election, KTVU reported. The attorney general argued that the sheriff has no authority over election materials and that the seizure was designed to sow distrust in elections, according to NBC Bay Area. The sources differ on the document type: NBC Bay Area describes it as a , while KTVU calls it a . The case is at the stage in the forum, according to both outlets.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 24, 2026, 10:50 a.m. ETFirst report

    California Supreme Court to Hear Arguments in Sheriff's Ballot Seizure Case

    Oral arguments are set to begin in the California Supreme Court in the case of Cervantes v. Bianco, concerning the seizure of roughly 650,000 ballots cast in last year's statewide redistricting election, according to KTVU. The case is a civil matter at the appellate level, and the proceeding is contested, the outlet reported.

    Sheriff Chad Bianco is named as a respondent. KTVU reported that Bianco legally seized the ballots. The case is ongoing, and the court has not yet issued a ruling.

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Sources

Revision history

  1. Version 224 Aug 2026, 20:24current

    Updated to reflect that oral arguments were heard, not just set to begin, and to include the attorney general's allegations and the conflict over the document type.

  2. Version 124 Aug 2026, 15:22

    First published.

  3. Version 124 Aug 2026, 14:50current

    First published.

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