The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Aug. 4, 2026
Back in April we reported on the seizure of over 600,000 Riverside County, California ballots by County Sheriff Chad Bianco. The state attorney general and a group of voters asked the state supreme court to intervene. Oral arguments in those cases will be heard in a special session August 24th.
Bianco, then a candidate for governor of California, claims he was investigating a QUOTE, “potential 45,000 extra votes” when he seized over 1,400 boxes of records in February and March from the November 2025 redistricting referendum, Proposition 50. Affidavits used to obtain the warrants, later unsealed, showed the county attorney used hearsay evidence from an activist group, not official data from county or state election officials.
Two lawsuits, one by the California Attorney General and the other by a Riverside City councilwoman and voters, were combined for oral arguments in an upcoming August 24th special session. Bianco argues that the state does not have statutory or constitutional authority over a county sheriff’s actions, and that the attorney general does not have the authority to quash a search warrant. The second suit argues that a county sheriff has no jurisdiction over ballots, and the seizure violated state election chain of custody statutes.
In the June 2nd California primary, Sheriff Bianco received 10.2% of the vote.
We’ve linked to our past reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
California Supreme Court – SUPREME COURT OF CALIFORNIA ORAL ARGUMENT CALENDAR SPECIAL SESSION – SAN FRANCISCO AUGUST 24, 2026
California Supreme Court (via UCLA Voting Rights Project) – PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDATE AND/OR OTHER EXTRAORDINARY RELIEF AND REQUEST FOR EXPEDITED REVIEW
California Supreme Court – Case Summary – ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA v. BIANCO
CalMatters – These emails show what drove Chad Bianco’s ballot seizure
Related ADM Reports:
American Democracy Minute – CA Supreme Court Halts Sheriff’s Prop. 50 Ballot Investigation; Unsealed Warrant Affidavits Show Election Denier Group Provided the ‘Evidence’
American Democracy Minute – California Sheriff Obtains Warrant from Judge He Endorsed, Then Seizes More than 650,000 Ballots for ‘Recount’ of 2025 Redistricting Referendum
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
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