Wayne County officials reviewing 37 disputed absentee ballots in Hamtramck mayoral race
The Wayne County Election Commission is meeting on Friday in Detroit to report to the public on the 37 disputed absentee ballots following a court order over the Hamtramck mayoral election.
The meeting opened at noon and shortly afteward, 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 the 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.
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.
What happens next?
As explained at the commission meeting on Friday, if Alharbi is declared the eventual winner with the additional ballots, then the commission will certify the result that day.
If Mahmood appears to be the eventual winner with the additional ballots counted, the commission will not be able to certify the result and the matter goes back before the circuit court judge.
