Fulton County moves to challenge FBI seizure of 2020 ballots as legal fight escalates in Georgia
Federal agents seized 2020 election records in Union City; county leaders say they will challenge the warrant
Fulton County officials are preparing a court challenge after federal agents removed hundreds of boxes of 2020 election records from the county’s Elections Hub and Operations Center in Union City, Georgia, under a court-authorized search warrant executed on Jan. 28, 2026.
County leaders have said the seizure included original paper ballots as well as related election materials such as voter rolls and digital records used in the tabulation process. Fulton County Commission member Marvin Arrington Jr. said the county intends to contest both the scope of the warrant and the manner in which the search was carried out, raising concerns that a complete chain-of-custody inventory was not created at the time materials were removed.
What happened during the search
County officials said the FBI arrived at the elections facility around midday and that a warrant issue required agents to return with corrected paperwork before the removal of records proceeded. Local officials said they complied with the search as executed, while also signaling an intent to seek judicial review and potential limits on how the seized materials are handled going forward.
The warrant itself has not been publicly detailed in full, and federal authorities have provided limited information about the underlying investigation beyond describing the operation as court-ordered activity.
Legal backdrop: a separate federal lawsuit over access to the same records
The seizure comes amid broader litigation over Fulton County’s 2020 election materials. In late 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil case in federal court in Atlanta seeking to compel production of ballots and related documents from the 2020 general election, after county officials said the records were under seal and could not be produced without a court order.
That civil action has focused on election record preservation and access, while the FBI operation is being treated as part of a criminal investigative process authorized by a search warrant. The overlap between the two—civil demands for access and a criminal-law search tool—has become a central point of county officials’ objections.
Key issues Fulton County is expected to raise
Chain of custody and documentation: county officials say they need a verifiable accounting of what was removed and what will be returned.
Handling of sensitive voter information: leaders have said protections are needed for confidential data contained in voter rolls and related records.
Location and control of the materials: county officials have argued that any review should preserve appropriate court supervision and prevent unauthorized access.
Fulton County officials have indicated they want judicial safeguards governing where the records are stored, who can access them, and how any examination is documented.
Why the 2020 ballots remain contested, six years later
Fulton County, Georgia’s largest county and a Democratic stronghold, has been a frequent focus of allegations about the 2020 election. Georgia’s 2020 results were repeatedly audited and recounted, and the state’s certified outcome has remained unchanged. Even so, legal disputes over preservation, access, and investigative authority have kept Fulton County’s ballots at the center of continuing litigation.
County attorneys are expected to file their challenge in federal court in the Northern District of Georgia. The filing is likely to test how far federal investigative authority extends into locally maintained election records, and what procedures must be followed to protect the integrity and traceability of materials that remain politically and legally sensitive years after Election Day.