From Breitbart: RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A California sheriff running for governor has seized more than half a million ballots cast in a November special election from county election officials, saying he’s investigating a ballot count discrepancy.
County elections officials have disputed the claims by Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, called Bianco’s move unprecedented and says it is designed to sow distrust in elections.
Bianco held a news conference Friday saying his office had launched the investigation after receiving a complaint from a local citizens group about the ballot count from a November 2025 special election on redistricting.
In the special election, voters approved a measure to redraw congressional district lines to favor Democrats in the upcoming midterm election. The measure passed in the county by a margin of more than 80,000 votes.
Below is the full press conference as Bianco provided details on the ongoing investigation into alleged voter fraud.
Bianco said an audit of a 2025 special election in the county regarding a Democrat-led redistricting measure showed a total of 611,428 ballots were cast, but 657,322 votes were reported and certified to the Secretary of State – a difference of 45,896 votes.
The sheriff says they will be manually recounting all the ballots to find out if the discrepancy showed in the audit is indeed true.
Earlier this month, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a far-left Democrat, fumed over Sheriff Bianco seizing the ballots and the effort to recount them. In a raging letter, Bonta declared that Bianco’s staff is not trained and has no experience counting ballots.
In reaction to a letter from Bonta, Sheriff Bianco declared, “I will not be intimidated by the Attorney General. We will investigate any potential fraud.”
I will not be intimidated by the Attorney General. We will investigate any potential fraud. https://t.co/Aa3zPcbTEt
— Sheriff Chad Bianco (@ChadBianco) March 21, 2026
The San Francisco Chronicle also appeared to be condemning the sheriff over his investigation into the election fraud, calling it a “local election conspiracy,” and labeling Bianco as a “dark horse GOP candidate for governor.”
Bianco fired back: “County logs show 611,428 ballots cast — but 657,322 were certified. A 45,896-vote discrepancy in an election that could decide the balance of power in Congress. SF Chronicle declares investigating a “conspiracy,” I call it a duty.”
County logs show 611,428 ballots cast — but 657,322 were certified.
A 45,896-vote discrepancy in an election that could decide the balance of power in Congress.
SF Chronicle declares investigating a “conspiracy,” I call it a duty. pic.twitter.com/ch6PZxh12k
— Sheriff Chad Bianco (@ChadBianco) March 21, 2026
Democrat Sen. Eric Swalwell, who is also running for governor of California, claimed, “The only way MAGA knows how to win is by cheating.”
“I think Eric Swalwell read the story wrong. We were the ones investigating the 45,000 vote discrepancy. Your Attorney General is the one trying to block it,” Bianco retorted.
I think Eric Swalwell read the story wrong. We were the ones investigating the 45,000 vote discrepancy.
Your Attorney General is the one trying to block it. https://t.co/KvuHSAmk5o
— Sheriff Chad Bianco (@ChadBianco) March 21, 2026
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