California Sheriff Halts Prop 50 Ballot Probe Amid State Legal Challenges

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is running for governor, has put his election‑fraud investigation into California’s Proposition 50 special election on indefinite hold, blaming what he calls “politically motivated” lawsuits and court filings from state officials and voting‑rights groups. Earlier this month Bianco seized more than 611,000 ballots from the Prop 50 special election, saying a citizens group had identified a 45,000‑ballot discrepancy between votes cast and votes counted and vowing to physically recount them, an unprecedented move for a county sheriff. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has argued the seizure is illegal because Bianco lacks authority to remove ballots from the county registrar or initiate a recount and says the sheriff has not identified any crime, while the UCLA Voting Rights Project has asked the California Supreme Court to rule the seizure violated state election‑materials laws. Local election officials say the supposed discrepancy stems from misreading raw data that included unsigned or otherwise invalid ballots and note that Prop 50 passed by a wide margin—about 64% approval—meaning a recount would not change the outcome but could undermine confidence in the process. Republican analyst Luis Alvarado and other experts warn Bianco’s actions, coming as he seeks higher office, risk depressing turnout by sowing doubt about elections, while Bianco accuses Democratic leaders of trying to stop transparency, echoing broader national battles over who controls ballot custody and post‑election investigations.