FBI Seizes Ballots in Investigation of Fulton County Election Procedures

Wed Feb 11 2026 02:02:33 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The FBI has executed a search warrant to collect ballots from Fulton County, Georgia, as part of a criminal investigation into alleged 'deficiencies' in the 2020 election vote count. This inquiry is particularly focused on allegations of wrongdoing from Trump supporters despite previous audits disproving such claims.

The FBI seized hundreds of ballot boxes from Fulton County, Georgia, as it investigates potential deficiencies in the 2020 election vote count. This probe follows claims of widespread fraud supported by Trump’s allies, despite multiple audits and investigations indicating no substantial evidence of misconduct. The search has raised concerns among Democrats, fearing an abuse of power fueled by Trump’s persistent false claims about the election.

ATLANTA (AP) — The FBI obtained a search warrant to seize hundreds of boxes of ballots from election offices in Fulton County, Georgia, as part of a criminal investigation into possible 'deficiencies or defects' in the vote count in the 2020 election lost by President Donald Trump, according to an affidavit unsealed Tuesday.

The affidavit provides the first public justification for an FBI search last month that targeted a county that Trump and allies have long seen as central to their claims that the election was stolen. The investigation began with a referral from Kurt Olsen, a Trump lawyer, and is based on assertions of widespread fraud that have been disproven by audits and state officials.

The search of the heavily Democratic county has raised immediate concerns among Democrats about Trump's influence over federal agencies to investigate perceived political grievances. According to the affidavit, there is no mention of foreign interference, despite claims by some of Trump’s supporters.

Democrat Joe Biden won Georgia by approximately 11,800 votes, and the election was managed by a Republican secretary of state and certified by a Republican governor.

Investigators are examining whether any shortcomings were the result of intentional misconduct that would violate federal law. Fulton County has acknowledged a lack of scanned images of all ballots counted during the original tally and a recount, which investigators are scrutinizing for potential errors.

Fulton County officials have called for the return of the seized materials, arguing that claims of electoral fraud were exhaustively reviewed and dismissed by courts and other investigations.

Originally, agents spent hours at the county elections hub, removing numerous cartons of election materials. The warrant sought various election records, including all ballots, tabulator tapes, and electronic ballot images created during counting.

Overall, the investigation comes amidst a backdrop of extensive evaluations of Fulton County's election practices, which have historically revealed issues but found no evidence of intentional fraud affecting election outcomes.