Authorities Seize Ballots From Four States in Federal and Local Actions

Authorities have seized or demanded ballots from elections in four states this year. The actions began in January and continued through March.

FBI agents with a warrant raided an election facility in Fulton County, Georgia, on January 28 and seized 600 boxes of ballots from the 2020 election along with digital scans, tabulator receipts, and voter rolls. The Department of Justice later obtained ballot images from the 2020 election in Maricopa County, Arizona, and demanded ballots from the 2024 election in Wayne County, Michigan.

A Justice Department spokesperson said the department is committed to upholding the integrity of the electoral system and will continue to prioritize efforts to ensure all elections remain free, fair, and transparent. The White House issued a statement about the federal government's right to obtain voter-registration data and called for Congress to pass the SAVE America Act.

March a Republican sheriff in California obtained a warrant to seize about 650,000 ballots from a statewide redistricting election held in November and announced that deputies would conduct a recount. County officials in Georgia have accused the Department of Justice of misleading the magistrate judge who approved the Fulton County warrant and of using a criminal case as a pretext to bypass ongoing civil litigation.

Gowri Ramachandran, director of elections and security at the Brennan Center for Justice, said it is important for the public, grand juries, and judges not to allow these actions to become precedent. Anna Baldwin, director of voting rights litigation at the Campaign Legal Center, said the Civil Rights Act allows federal authorities to inspect ballots and request copies but does not authorize seizure of original ballots.