A Fulton County official says the FBI’s recent raid on the county’s elections office resulted in the seizure of hundreds of boxes of sensitive 2020 election materials, raising concerns about voter privacy, chain of custody, and the loss of court oversight that had already been approved for a formal review process.
In a public statement and video update shared on Instagram, Fulton County Commissioner Mo Ivory, Esq., said federal agents removed approximately 650 to 700 boxes of election-related records, including ballots, results tapes, recap sheets, and absentee ballot envelopes containing voters’ names and addresses.
According to Ivory, while some ballot information exists in digital form, not all of the seized materials have backups, particularly physical documents such as results tapes and absentee ballot envelopes.
“Some of this existed only in physical form,” Ivory said. “And that matters.”
Court oversight disrupted
Ivory explained that the seizure occurred despite an existing, court-approved review process, under which a judge was scheduled to oversee how the election materials would be examined. That process, she said, was designed to preserve the chain of custody and protect against tampering or false claims.
By removing the records before that hearing, Ivory said, court supervision was effectively lost.
“Once documents leave secure monitoring, election officials cannot guarantee their integrity, even if they are returned,” she said.
Compliance under warrant
Ivory said Fulton County officials complied with the raid because federal agents presented a warrant, leaving the county with no legal option to refuse.
“When law enforcement presents a warrant, officials are legally required to comply,” she said, adding that interference could have exposed county officials to obstruction of justice charges.
She rejected suggestions that county officials were attempting to withhold information, stressing that the issue is process, not secrecy.
“This isn’t about secrecy,” Ivory said. “It’s about doing this the right way so facts remain facts and public trust is protected.”
Transparency and voter protection concerns
Ivory argued that the seizure did not increase transparency, but instead short-circuited a legal process already in place to safeguard voter information and evidentiary integrity.
She warned that removing election records outside judicial supervision risks undermining confidence in election administration, particularly when sensitive voter data is involved.
Legal response forthcoming
Ivory said Fulton County is now pursuing all available legal options, though she declined to provide specifics until filings are formally before the courts.
“You’ll be hearing more very soon,” she said. “We are fighting back in Fulton County.”
The FBI has not publicly detailed the scope or purpose of the seizure.
The raid adds to ongoing national scrutiny of election systems and post-2020 investigations, with Fulton County once again at the center of legal and political debate over election integrity and oversight. Click here to watch Mo Ivory’s full video.
