Senator Cervantes Statement on California Supreme Court Decision on Unlawful Ballot Seizure

“I applaud the California Supreme Court for standing on the side of voting rights, California voters, and our democracy. No one, including law enforcement officers, is above the law when it comes to safeguarding the integrity of elections in our Golden State,” said Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside).

The California Supreme Court ruled today in favor of Attorney General Rob Bonta in his case against Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco over his seizure of ballots cast by Riverside County voters in the November 2025 Proposition 50 special election.

The rulings in Bonta v. Bianco and Cervantes v. Bianco, a companion case brought by four Riverside County voters seeking the return of their ballots, provide the needed protections for voting integrity, the ballot box, and election systems.

This year, Governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills by Senator Cervantes, author of the California Voting Rights Act of 2026, that strengthen election integrity in California. Senate Bill 73 – Elections Systems Safeguarding, which made it a felony to seize ballots from the custody of a county registrar. Senate Bill 1418 – Preserving Chain of Custody Over Elections Records, which expanded the SB 73 penalty to the removal of other forms of elections records, including voting systems.

“I am thankful to Attorney General Bonta, the UCLA Voting Rights Project, and Secretary Xavier Becerra for attacking this issue head-on and winning. It’s truly a good day for voting rights and California voters,” added Senator Cervantes.

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Sabrina Cervantes is a working mother of triplets and wife who proudly represents the 31st District of the California State Senate, which encompasses the Inland Empire cities of Corona, Eastvale, Fontana, Jurupa Valley, Menifee, Moreno Valley, Perris, Riverside, and San Jacinto, and the unincorporated communities of Coronita, El Cerrito, Good Hope, Highgrove, Home Gardens, Lakeview, Meadowbrook, Mead Valley, Nuevo, and Romoland. She currently serves as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Chair-Elect of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus; previously served as Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus; and is the author of the California Voting Rights Act of 2026.