Ballots Seized in Multiple States; Experts Question Motives
According to a Wired report, federal and local authorities have conducted ballot seizures in at least three states since January 2026, with election experts expressing concern about the precedent and motivations behind the actions. The seizures began in January when FBI agents raided a Fulton County, Georgia, election facility and seized 600 boxes of 2020 ballots. In March, the Department of Justice obtained ballot images from the 2020 election in Maricopa County, Arizona, and demanded ballots from the 2024 election in Wayne County, Michigan. Separately, a Republican sheriff in California obtained a warrant to seize about 650,000 ballots from a statewide redistricting election. Experts quoted in the report fear the trend could grow if courts fail to scrutinize what appear to be politically motivated requests. The article notes that normally ballots from older elections would have been destroyed under federal and state retention laws, but the seized ballots were part of ongoing civil litigation. The DOJ has stated it is committed to upholding electoral integrity, while the White House provided a statement about the federal right to obtain voter-registration data.
What’s reported
FBI agents raided a Fulton County, Georgia, election facility on January 28, seizing 600 boxes of 2020 ballots, digital scans, tabulator receipts, and voter rolls.
In March, the DOJ obtained ballot images from the 2020 election in Maricopa County, Arizona, and demanded ballots from the 2024 election in Wayne County, Michigan.
In March, a Republican sheriff in California obtained a warrant to seize about 650,000 ballots from a statewide redistricting election.
The warrant in Fulton County was initiated by Kurt Olsen, a White House adviser, with a prosecutor from Missouri, and Tulsi Gabbard accompanied the FBI on the raid.
The affidavit for the Fulton County warrant did not mention foreign interference and relied on a report from an election conspiracy group.
The nonpartisan States United Democracy Center said the group’s report contains “no legitimate conclusions” and that claims were debunked in previous audits.
Fulton County officials accused the DOJ of misleading the magistrate judge by providing a “gross mischaracterization of the facts” and not informing the court that the claims had been previously dismissed or that ballots were part of ongoing litigation.
Federal law requires ballots from federal elections be kept 22 months; Georgia state law requires 24 months. The seized ballots exceeded those limits.
In Maricopa County, the FBI seized more than three dozen hard drives and servers containing digital ballot images from a controversial 2021 audit by Cyber Ninjas.
Conflicting accounts
The article describes conflicting accounts between county officials and the DOJ in Fulton County. County officials claim the DOJ misled the judge who approved the warrant. The election conspiracy group’s report that formed the basis for probable cause is criticized by the States United Democracy Center as containing no legitimate conclusions. The DOJ has not publicly responded to these specific allegations beyond a general statement about integrity.
Open questions
What specific parties seizing ballots aim to achieve is not definitively known; the article lists several possibilities, including fishing for fraud evidence, sending a message about federal control, or testing court and public reactions.
Whether the seizures will set a precedent for post-midterm ballot seizures remains uncertain.
The full legal and procedural implications of the DOJ bypassing civil litigation via a criminal case in Georgia are unclear.
Misconceptions
The article addresses the misconception that the DOJ’s actions are routine or properly vetted. Election experts quoted note that seizing original ballots instead of copies is irregular, and that the government policy of using the least intrusive measure is not being followed. Baldwin states that even the Civil Rights Act only allows inspection and copies, not seizure of original ballots.
Key figures
Gowri Ramachandran, director of elections and security at the Brennan Center for Justice
Anna Baldwin, director of voting rights litigation at Campaign Legal Center
Kurt Olsen, lawyer and White House adviser
Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence
Brad Raffensperger, Georgia secretary of state (mentioned)
Unnamed Republican sheriff in California
Unnamed DOJ spokesperson
Unnamed White House official providing a statement
Sources: Wired
