Fulton County seeks return of 2020 election materials after FBI raid

Fulton County filed a motion in federal court Wednesday after an FBI raid at the county’s election hub removed hundreds of boxes of ballots, images and voter records tied to the 2020 election.

County Commission Chairman Robert Pitts said the motion, filed on behalf of himself and the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections, seeks the immediate return of all seized election materials and greater transparency around why they were taken. He said county leaders and outside legal experts warn the case could have consequences beyond Fulton County.

“This case is not only about Fulton County, it’s about elections across Georgia and across the nation,” Pitts said.

The county is also asking a judge to unseal the affidavit used to obtain the FBI search warrant.

Since 2020, Pitts said, Fulton County has conducted 17 successful elections without issues, but questions remain about where the seized materials are now and how they’re being handled. Those concerns are shared by election security experts who say ballot handling is critical to election integrity.

Mark Lindeman, policy and strategy director for Verified Voting, observed Georgia’s 2020 verification process in four counties and provided technical support during the state’s large-scale audits. Lindeman said what troubles him most about the FBI raid is that chain-of-custody rules required under Georgia law weren’t followed.

“Every time ballots move from one location to another, all of that is documented,” he said.

Lindeman noted Georgia’s 2020 results were verified through the original count, a full hand-count audit and a recount by rescanning ballots. County officials say they still do not know where the seized materials are or what is being done with them.