California Supreme Court orders GOP sheriff to pause election probe and preserve seized ballots

The California Supreme Court ordered Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to halt his election probe and preserve seized ballots. This directive stems from Sheriff Bianco's earlier seizure of 1,000 boxes of election materials, initiated to investigate a complaint regarding the ballot count from a November 2025 special election on redistricting. The court's intervention effectively pauses the sheriff's investigation into the election results. This action by the state's highest court ensures the integrity of election materials while potentially clarifying the scope of local law enforcement's authority over election processes.