Following is a statement by Amb. Norm Eisen (ret.), executive chair of Democracy Defenders Fund, regarding the California Supreme Court's order directing Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to pause his probe into the election ballots he seized earlier this year.

“This ballot seizure has no place in our democracy. Ballots are protected by strict legal rules for a reason. When a law enforcement official steps outside the election system and seizes them, it threatens the security of those materials and the public’s confidence that elections are decided by voters, not by whoever can seize control of the process.

“The California Supreme Court moved swiftly to stop this destabilizing investigation, preserve the ballots at issue, and make clear that this extraordinary situation demands full review. Courts do not intervene like this lightly. California voters deserve confidence that election materials will remain protected, that no local official can unilaterally create chaos around a lawful election, and that election disputes will be resolved through law and evidence.”

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Democracy Defenders Fund brings together a nonpartisan team to work with national, state and local allies across the country to defend in real-time the foundations of our democracy.