The Justice Department sued Fulton County, Georgia, seeking sealed 2020 General Election materials after officials said the records could not be released without a court order. The Civil Rights Division alleges the county failed to comply with a federal subpoena for used and void ballots, ballot stubs, signature envelopes and related digital files. The DOJ also filed suits against Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Nevada to obtain voter registration lists, bringing the total to 18 states targeted for voter-list requests. The filings signal continued federal efforts to enforce access to election records.
DOJ Sues Fulton County Over Sealed 2020 Ballot Records; Also Seeks Voter Lists From Four States
'I'm a Georgia Voter' stickers on a table at a polling location in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 3, 2020. - Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg/Getty Images/File
The Justice Department on Friday filed suit against Fulton County, Georgia, seeking access to records tied to the 2020 General Election after county officials told federal investigators the materials were sealed and could not be produced without a court order.
In its complaint, the Department’s Civil Rights Division says Fulton County failed to comply with a federal subpoena demanding "used and void ballots, stubs of all ballots, signature envelopes, and corresponding envelope digital files from the 2020 General Election." The suit alleges the county did not turn over the requested materials as required by the subpoena.
Fulton County previously informed the Justice Department that the requested records were under seal and could not be released without judicial authorization. CNN has reached out to a Fulton County spokesperson for comment.
Separate Suits Seek Voter Registration Lists
Separately on Friday, the Justice Department announced it had sued four additional states — Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Nevada — in an effort to obtain voter registration lists nationwide. With the new filings, the department says it has now sued 18 states seeking access to voter lists.
"At this Department of Justice, we will not permit states to jeopardize the integrity and effectiveness of elections by refusing to abide by our federal elections laws," the filing quotes Harmeet Dhillon as saying. "If states will not fulfill their duty to protect the integrity of the ballot, we will."
The lawsuits underscore continued federal pressure on state and local officials over access to election materials and voter lists stemming from the 2020 presidential contest. CNN’s Ethan Cohen contributed to this report.
