Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has seized 650,000 ballots cast in his county in November, claiming they need to be recounted due to a discrepancy in the estimated initial count and the number of votes recorded. The Riverside Election Integrity Team claims there was an excess of 45,000 votes. Both state and local election officials deny this claim, stating it is based on a misunderstanding of how the initial vote estimate is made. Critics, including California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta, have accused Bianco of creating a dangerous precedent and undermining public confidence in our elections. This move is seen as an attempt to curry favor with the Trumpiest of California voters, as recent polls show Bianco's fortunes slipping ahead of the gubernatorial race.