Independent Voter PodcastThis week on the Independent Voter Podcast, California sheriff Chad Bianco seizes 650,000 ballots while running for governor, the Supreme Court takes on mail-in ballot deadlines that could invalidate millions of votes, and TSA agents walk off the job unpaid while Washington refuses a deal that's already on the table.
Plus, one congressman just made a move that almost nobody in U.S. history has made - and it could reshape the 2026 California primary in ways nobody is talking about yet.
Episode Highlights
Chad Peace, Cara McCormick, and Shawn Griffiths kick off this episode of the Independent Voter Podcast with a controversial story that put the California governor’s race in the national spotlight.
Primary frontrunner and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco made headlines after seizing 650,000 ballots from the Proposition 50 special election, citing claims by a local group that allegedly found 45,000 excess votes in the county.
The controversy quickly became a flashpoint in the broader national debate over election fraud and voter suppression, with the FBI simultaneously seizing ballots in Fulton County, Georgia, and the DOJ demanding voter rolls from multiple states.
Shawn Griffiths
The Riverside County registrar of voters disputed the fraud claims, saying the discrepancy was closer to 100 votes. He attributed the group's inflated figure to misuse of raw data before ballots were processed.
On a related topic, we also discussed a landmark US Supreme Court case on mail-in ballot deadlines, with oral arguments suggesting the court may rule that ballots must be received — not merely postmarked — by Election Day.
This ruling could dramatically impact states like Alaska, where 80% of votes are cast by mail, and reshape California's Top Two primary ahead of the June 2026 primary election.
We also debate USPS mail delays, postmark reliability, and what this could all mean for voter disenfranchisement in the 2026 elections.
The conversation then shifts to something more positive. The Los Angeles Charter Review Commission recommended expanding the city council and implementing ranked choice voting (RCV). What RCV system could the city adopt?
Will it look like RCV in New York City or something different?
Cara Brown McCormick
We wrap up the episode talking about US Rep. Kevin Kiley, who recently made waves by re-registering as an independent. Not only is he now the sole independent member of the U.S. House of Representatives, but this has narrowed the Republican House majority.
The question we explore: is it a sincere move toward independence or a campaign maneuver in response to California redistricting under Proposition 50? Kiley’s new district, the 6th Congressional District, leans Democrat but has over 100,000 No Party Preference voters.
Cara Brown McCormick
Meanwhile, the ongoing TSA worker pay crisis – with agents missing paychecks and airport security lines stretching 6–7 hours at major hubs – remained unresolved as Trump tied relief funding to passage of the SAVE Act.
We also spotlight Scranton Mayor Page Canetti, a 2026 Pennsylvania congressional candidate running on an anti-congressional stock trading platform against incumbent Rob Bresnahan, who became one of Congress's most prolific stock traders.
