Calif. Sheriff Investigates ‘Massive’ Ballot Discrepancy In Special Election
Riverside, California - June 7, 2026
Riverside County Sheriff Launches Investigation into Vote Discrepancy in 2025 Special Election
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has initiated a criminal investigation into a reported discrepancy between electronic vote tabulations and handwritten poll worker logs from a 2025 special election. The inquiry focuses on a difference of approximately 45,896 votes between machine counts and physical records maintained at polling sites.
According to court documents, machine scanners recorded over 657,000 ballots cast in the election, while handwritten logs kept by poll workers documented just over 611,000 voters. Sheriff’s deputies, acting under search warrants authorized by a superior court judge, seized more than 1,500 boxes of election materials from the Riverside County Registrar of Voters office for further examination.
A judge has appointed an independent special master to oversee the physical verification process. The materials are being held in secure storage under court supervision.
Statements from Officials
Sheriff Bianco, who is also a candidate for California governor, stated that the purpose of the investigation is to determine the accuracy of the election results. He described the scale of the discrepancy as significant and emphasized the need for a complete review.
Registrar of Voters Art Tinoco has attributed the difference to human error by temporary workers who filled out the poll site paperwork. He has maintained that the machine tabulations accurately reflect the ballots cast.
Response from State Officials
California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office has opposed the investigation, describing it as an unprecedented action lacking credible evidence. Officials from the attorney general’s office issued letters attempting to halt aspects of the probe, though the sheriff’s department proceeded with the court-authorized seizure.
The investigation comes amid broader scrutiny of California’s election administration, including questions about voter roll maintenance and ballot processing timelines raised in other recent legal actions.
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The seized materials will undergo a court-supervised review to reconcile the electronic records with the physical poll logs. The outcome of the verification process will determine whether further action is warranted regarding the 2025 special election results.
Sheriff Bianco has indicated that the investigation will continue until the discrepancy is fully examined. State election officials have reiterated that California’s voting systems include multiple layers of verification, though the current inquiry represents an unusual level of local law enforcement involvement in post-election review.
