Muhith Mahmood now leads Adam Alharbi after 37 absentee ballots counted in Hamtramck mayoral race
Hamtramck mayoral challenger and former city councilman Muhith Mahmood is now leading the November 2025 election after 37 disputed absentee ballots were counted Friday following a circuit court order.
Following Friday's count by the Wayne County Election Commission, the tallies show Mahmood receiving 2,089 votes to current Mayor Adam Alharbi's 2,077. However, the results will not be certified until they are reviewed by a circuit court judge and the challenge to Mahmood's residency is resolved. If Mahmood is deemed ineligible due to his residency, a new election will be held.
If Alharbi had been declared the winner after the additional ballots were counted, the commission would have certified the result on Friday. Alharbi's attorney said he will ask for a recount.
Mahmood trailed Alharbi by 11 votes entering Friday, meaning he received 30 of the 37 previously disputed votes.
The meeting opened at noon, and shortly afterward, the commissioners went into recess. A packet holding the disputed ballots was seen in the packed meeting room.
"Accuracy matters. Ballot security matters," chairperson David Braxton said when beginning the session.
After a recess, which lasted about an hour, the commissioners went back into session. Baxton cut open the seal at 1:16 p.m., and inspection of the ballots began.
The process continued for well over an hour, with the vote announcement made at about 2:52 p.m. It involved several steps, including inspection of the ballots and inserting them one at a time into a tabulator machine. The commission was also tasked with considering and voting on write-in names that appeared on some mayoral and city council votes.
A court hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22, when a judge is expected to address the outstanding legal issues.
Background on the case
The ballots were initially excluded after then-City Clerk Rana Faraj raised concerns about a break in the chain of custody. Faraj testified that unauthorized individuals had entered her office while the ballots were stored there, raising questions about their security.
Last week, Wayne County Circuit Judge Kathleen McCarthy ordered the ballots to be tabulated no later than Oct. 16.
The disputed ballots were mired in litigation because the numbers could potentially overturn an election that was decided by just 11 votes in November 2025. Based on that count, Adam Alharbi defeated former Hamtramck City Council Member Muhith Mahmood and took office in January.
The litigation was presented at one point to the Michigan Supreme Court. The justices declined in January to hear arguments on the case and instead insisted on an expedited decision from the Michigan Court of Appeals. A Michigan Court of Appeals ruling in March said that the 37 remaining ballots must be reviewed with their votes added to official counts. The case was remanded to the trial court for consideration.
In the meantime, there remains a separate legal challenge over Mahmood's city residency. The allegations about Mahmood's residency surfaced months before the November 2025 election, but the legal challenge was not filed until after voters went to the polls.
