Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco halts probe after seizing ballots

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a MAGA Republican running for California governor, seized over 500,000 ballots from last fall's special election. He said the action was part of an election fraud probe, but courts and the state attorney general challenged the seizure and forced a pause. The move intensifies partisan conflict over election administration and targets county election officials. It matters because the seizure undermines public confidence in voting procedures, disrupts election operations, and elevates Bianco's profile in the governor's race.