Fulton County officials in court to push for return of 2020 election ballots seized by FBI

Fulton County officials filed a court petition Friday seeking the return of thousands of ballots that the FBI seized from local election offices in January. The seizure occurred as part of a federal investigation, though the exact scope and target of that investigation was not detailed in the filing. The county argues the ballots should be returned to their custody as evidence of the ballots' chain of custody and integrity could be compromised by extended federal retention. The case touches on broader tensions between local election administration and federal law enforcement authority during ongoing investigations into the 2020 election. The judge's decision could set a precedent for how federal agencies handle physical election materials during criminal investigations.