The Last Check: Magistrate Judges and Federal Seizures of Election Records

The Department of Justice executed search warrants and issued subpoenas in multiple states to seize election records, including ballots and voter-roll data, as part of investigations into the 2020 and 2024 elections. These actions, described as unprecedented, involve federal agents seeking to disrupt state election administration, with magistrate judges now serving as the final check before such interventions.