What forensic records (tabulator tapes, memory cards, chain‑of‑custody logs) exist from Fulton County’s 2020 election and who has reviewed them?
Executive summary
Fulton County’s 2020 election created a patchwork of forensic artifacts — poll/tabulator tapes, memory cards, ballot images, cast‑vote records (CVRs) and custody logs — but the completeness and certification of those items has been contested, reviewed unevenly by county staff, state investigators, federal actors and outside auditors [1] [2] [3]. Multiple official reviews concluded no fraud, even as state probes and public requests revealed procedural lapses [4] [5].
1. What forensic records are known to exist from Fulton County’s 2020 election
Public reporting and records requests show several classes of forensic records were produced or preserved: tabulator/poll tapes printed by vote machines on Election Day, memory cards and election management system exports including cast‑vote records and scanned ballot images, and the paper ballots themselves with stubs and signature envelopes — the latter sought specifically in a DOJ subpoena [1] [2] [3]. County officials provided digital files in response to open‑records demands, and researchers and private groups have obtained datasets such as CVRs and ballot images used in later analyses and court fights [2] [6].
2. Which records have gaps or certification problems
Multiple accounts document missing or unsigned tabulation tapes and duplicated ballot images: a citizen investigator reported 134 unsigned tabulator tapes covering roughly 315,000 votes after obtaining county records [6], and the Georgia Secretary of State’s review substantiated that 36 of 37 advanced voting precincts lacked required signatures on tabulation tapes during early voting [7]. The state probe also flagged some duplicated ballot images, suggesting some ballots may have been scanned more than once during the 2020 recount [5] [8]. Associated reporting and fact‑checks emphasize that poll tapes are only one part of the paper trail and other records (memory cards, CVRs, official statements) can corroborate totals [1].
3. Who has reviewed the forensic records — state, local and federal actors
The Georgia Secretary of State’s office, including its investigators and the State Election Board, reviewed records and footage related to the State Farm Arena allegations and later recount procedures; that state review found no evidence of conspiracy or fraud but did identify procedural violations such as unsigned tapes and duplicative images [4] [5] [7]. The FBI and Georgia Bureau of Investigation participated in reviewing video and other evidence in at least the State Farm Arena matter [4]. The U.S. Department of Justice issued subpoenas and later sued to compel production of ballots, stubs, signature envelopes and corresponding digital files, asserting a need to inspect underlying records for compliance and to probe unexplained tabulation anomalies [3] [9].
4. Private auditors, researchers and advocacy groups who have handled files
Outside firms and activists have examined county files: Wake Technology Services and other private vendors have been involved in post‑2020 audits in jurisdictions tied into broader reviews, and non‑profit American Oversight has obtained communications and documents from post‑election reviews [10]. Citizen investigators and groups like VoterGA have used public‑records responses to analyze tabulator tapes and digital files, generating claims about missing signatures and potential irregularities [6] [11]. Academic analyses used CVRs and scanned images made available in litigation to assess internal consistency and scanning discrepancies [2].
5. What’s settled, what’s disputed, and the practical limits of available records
Official casework has largely settled that no coordinated fraud overturning results was evident, per state investigators and law enforcement reviews, yet procedural lapses were documented and have kept records under legal contention [4] [5]. The Justice Department’s bid to obtain ballots and envelopes underscores that some original materials remain under court supervision or contested custody, limiting independent verification [3] [9]. Reporting and fact checks caution that missing poll tapes do not by themselves prove votes were fabricated because memory cards, CVRs and scanned images also record results [1], but public accounts show uneven preservation, unsigned certifying tapes, and some duplicated images — factual gaps that continue to fuel disputes [6] [5].