UCLA Voting Rights Project Filing Alerts CA Supreme Court to Alleged Security Breach in Riverside Ballot Seizure Case

Letter also urges Court to decide on whether a sheriff may lawfully take possession of ballots outside official election process.

LOS ANGELES (April 28, 2026) — The UCLA Voting Rights Project (VRP) today filed a letter alerting the California Supreme Court to developments that came to light after briefing closed on March 30, 2026. According to the filing, Sheriff Bianco’s counsel allegedly created a public link that allowed access to at least some of the seized election materials, raising new election security concerns while the case remains pending. The letter also argues that, even after the Court’s interim action in the Attorney General’s matter, the Justices should still resolve the election-law questions presented in this case before the 2026 primary election moves forward. 

“We are asking the Court to do more than pause this particular investigation. We are asking it to make clear that ballots and election materials cannot be taken out of the hands of election officials and handled outside the safeguards established by California law,” said Sonni Waknin, senior voting rights counsel at VPR. “What has happened in Riverside shows why that question cannot be left unanswered. With primary voting beginning in a few days, the Court should act quickly to reaffirm that ballot custody, security, and review must remain under lawful election procedures and not be left to ad hoc actions by law enforcement.”

Read the filing here.

ABOUT the UCLA Voting Rights Project

The UCLA Voting Rights Project was established to protect equal voting rights for all Americans through strategic litigation, social science research and policy advocacy. The VRP seeks to ensure that all individuals are afforded equal access to the electoral process and representation in governance. For more information about the UCLA Voting Rights Project, please visit vrp.ucla.edu.

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