Fulton County workers count absentee ballots on Nov. 6, 2020, in Atlanta. A judge's order marks the latest challenge for the county in a seemingly never-ending election cycle. A judge on Friday ordered Georgia's most populous county to begin making plans to unseal at least 142,000 mail-in ballots it received in the 2020 election, clearing the way for another potential review of the ballots. The order comes in a state lawsuit filed by multiple plaintiffs alleging that fraudulent mail-in ballots were counted in Fulton County. Superior Court Judge Brian Amero ordered Fulton County, which includes much of Atlanta, and the plaintiffs to participate in a hearing at a later date to discuss the logistics for handling the paper ballots, according to county spokesperson Jessica Corbitt-Dominguez.