Officials in Georgia filed a court challenge Wednesday seeking the return of scores of election records seized by federal agents last week from a warehouse in Fulton County, which has been central to right-wing conspiracy theories about President Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 presidential election.

Robb Pitts, chairman of the Fulton County board of commissioners, vowed county officials would use “every resource” to secure ballots and other material and cast the court fight as part of a broader effort to ensure the future of independent elections.

The county’s motion, which was filed under seal in federal court in Atlanta also asked the judge to unseal the investigative affidavit that agents submitted to secure their search warrant, Pitts said.

“Our very constitution is at stake in this fight,” he said at a news conference, adding later: “This case is not only about Fulton County. It’s about elections across Georgia and across the nation.”.....

Though the details of their court filing Wednesday remain sealed, county leaders have said they want to retrieve the records taken by the Trump administration and forensically audit the documents.

“To some extent, it’s almost too late at this point because the chain of custody has been broken,” Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr. said Monday. “They could add 11,000 records or lose 11,000 records … and we don’t have any way to counter any false narrative they come up with.”