Watch Live: Muhith Mahmood being sworn in as Hamtramck mayor after 37 disputed ballots counted

Former Hamtramck City Councilman Muhith Mahmood is being sworn in on Sunday as the next mayor after 37 disputed absentee ballots were recently counted, securing his victory one year after the 2025 election.

CBS News Detroit is live streaming the swearing-in ceremony, which is scheduled for noon at the Hamtramck Community Center.

The Wayne County Board of Canvassers certified the votes earlier this week, reaffirming that Mahmood defeated Adam Alharbi.

The absentee ballots were not initially counted after former Clerk Rana Faraj raised concerns about a break in the chain of custody. As a result, the Wayne County Board of Canvassers deadlocked 2-2 over whether the ballots should be counted, leaving them out of the certified election results in December 2025.

Alharbi was declared the winner by 11 votes and was sworn in in January 2026. However, Mahmood challenged the decision in court, arguing that voters should not lose their right to have their ballots counted due to mistakes by election officials. The ballots were counted on Oct. 16, 2026, nearly one year after the election, showing that Mahmood received a total of 2,089 votes to Alharbi's 2,077.

Mahmood could not officially take office until the conclusion of a lawsuit filed by Alharbi, who accused Mahmood of not living in Hamtramck. After a court hearing, a judge concluded on Oct. 30 that Mahmood is a Hamtramck resident and is eligible to serve as the city's mayor.

Up until then, Alharbi had remained mayor.