The California Supreme Court has shut down a right-wing sheriff’s efforts to seize and investigate ballots over debunked allegations of vote “discrepancies”. I’m sipping my coffee and reading about Sheriff Chad Bianco’s attempts to get his hands on 650,000 ballots from Riverside County’s 2025 election, and I have to say, it’s quite a story. Bianco’s seizure of the ballots came after a search warrant was executed by the FBI to obtain 2020 ballots from Fulton County, Georgia, which was a target of President Donald Trump’s election subversion claims. It’s like they’re trying to find something, anything, to prove their baseless claims of widespread voter fraud.
Folks, it’s been a wild ride, with election officials preparing for any similar attempts during the November election. Bianco, who was running in a GOP primary where Trump’s endorsement was still up for grabs, argued that his investigation of the ballots was justified because he was presented with evidence of a possible crime. However, the state Supreme Court ruled that the seizure was unlawful and that handing over the ballots to investigators would break the chain of custody.
The court wrote that “allowing law enforcement unfettered access to ballots, or the ability to handle and count them in secret based on unregulated protocols, itself creates a substantial risk to election integrity”. I mean, you can’t just let anyone handle ballots willy-nilly, right? There are procedures in place to maintain public confidence in election results, and Bianco’s actions were a clear threat to that.
Now, election officials are preparing for any similar attempts in the future. They’re working with their state’s attorney general, with county attorneys, with city attorneys to make sure everyone understands who actually has authority and access to any part of the election procedures and processes. It’s a big job, but someone’s gotta do it.
The California legislature has even passed laws to explicitly narrow the circumstances when law enforcement can obtain ballots and to impose criminal penalties for anyone involved in an unlawful attempt to remove ballots from the custody of election officials. New laws in California, as well as in Connecticut, also require local jurisdictions to quickly notify state officials if they learn of search warrants or other law enforcement actions targeting election materials.
It’s all about being prepared, folks. Election officials are planners, and they have to consider possibilities even if they’re not going to happen. They’re working to educate judges about the unique concerns around ballots, and they’re sharing best practices to flagging threats and risks to the democratic election system.
In the end, it’s all about maintaining the integrity of our elections. And if that means taking a few extra steps to ensure that ballots are handled properly, then so be it. As David Becker, a former Justice Department voting section attorney, said, “Election officials are planners. And so, they have to consider possibilities even if they’re not going to happen — to be ready in case they do”.
So, let’s all take a deep breath and be glad that the California Supreme Court shut down Bianco’s efforts to seize those ballots. It’s a victory for election integrity, and a reminder that we need to stay vigilant to protect our democracy. And that’s the way it is, folks – a never-ending battle to keep our elections safe and secure. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to refill my coffee cup.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
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