The California Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco must immediately return more than 650,000 ballots he seized earlier this year from the county registrar of voters.

In a pair of unanimous decisions, the court held that the seizure violated California Elections Code provisions requiring voted ballots to remain in the physical custody of election officials even during criminal investigations. Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero wrote that the law unambiguously prohibits removal of ballots from an elections official’s custody, notwithstanding a search warrant.

The ballots came from the November 2025 special election on congressional redistricting. Bianco obtained search warrants in February 2026 after a citizens group alleged discrepancies in vote totals. His office seized roughly 650,000 ballots and related materials.

State Attorney General Rob Bonta had directed Bianco to pause the investigation, but the sheriff proceeded. The court also ruled that Bonta has authority to issue binding directives to county sheriffs regarding such matters.

The decisions came in cases brought by voters and supported by Bonta. The court ordered Bianco to return the ballots to Registrar Art Tinoco forthwith and to refrain from further handling except as needed to comply.

Bianco, a Republican who has raised questions about election processes during his 2026 bid for Governor of California, stated he would obey the writs but disputed the broader implications for local law enforcement independence.

Critics of the ruling argue it prioritizes procedural safeguards over aggressive probes into potential irregularities, limiting tools available to investigate claims of discrepancies. The small variance reported in Riverside County counts aligned with typical administrative errors, according to the registrar.

The ruling reinforces long-standing state law on ballot custody aimed at preventing tampering but draws attention to tensions between state oversight and local officials seeking to examine election materials.