HAMTRAMCK — The Wayne County Board of Canvassers is expected to meet within the coming days to tabulate 37 absentee ballots excluded from Hamtramck’s 2025 election, potentially removing current Mayor Adam Alharbi from office and replacing him with former City Councilmember Muhith Mahmood.

Mahmood lost the November mayoral election by 11 votes after the absentee ballots were discovered in the City Clerk’s Office the day after the election and excluded from the final tally.

Wayne County election officials initially declined to count the ballots because of concerns about a break in the chain of custody. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled this spring that they must be reviewed and included in the results. The Michigan Supreme Court allowed that decision to stand on August 14 by declining to hear Alharbi’s appeal.

The ruling means Mahmood could soon become the first Bangladeshi American mayor in the history of the Muslim-majority city, particularly because the precinct from which the disputed ballots originated has a large Bangladeshi immigrant population.

The Hamtramck Review reported that replacing the Yemeni American mayor with his Bangladeshi American opponent could further deepen political divisions between two of the city’s largest communities.

Justice is served. — Muhith Mahmood

The Wayne County Board of Canvassers previously deadlocked 2–2 over whether to include the 37 ballots, resulting in their exclusion.

Mahmood did not concede the issue. He initially filed a case in Wayne County Circuit Court, but his effort failed after Alharbi successfully argued that the uncounted ballots could have been tampered with and were therefore ineligible to be counted.

Mahmood appealed the ruling and ultimately prevailed before the Michigan Court of Appeals. In a 2–1 decision, the court ruled that the 37 ballots should be included and that voters should not be penalized because the clerk’s office misplaced their ballots.

Alharbi then asked the Michigan Supreme Court to review the matter, but the court declined his requests.

“Justice is served,” Mahmood said following the Supreme Court’s decision.

“This is a great victory for democracy and for the rights of voters to have their votes counted,” his attorney, Mark Brewer, said.

Alharbi, however, strongly criticized the Supreme Court’s refusal to intervene.

“While it is disappointing that the Supreme Court declined to review this important election matter, especially given that the Court of Appeals decision itself was split 2–1, my primary concern has never been about my seat,” Alharbi told the Hamtramck Review. “It is about the future of our city.”

Alharbi also questioned the integrity of the broader election process and cited several alleged irregularities.

“During the recount, it became apparent that roughly 100 ballots had clear alterations, where votes cast for me were erased and replaced with my opponent’s name,” said Alharbi, who has been in office for nearly eight months.

The residents of Hamtramck deserve leadership that is locally invested, legally qualified and fully committed to our community. — Mayor Adam Alharbi

He said the Wayne County Board of Canvassers found the matter suspicious and referred it to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for investigation.

Alharbi also alleged that video evidence showed groups of people depositing large numbers of ballots into drop boxes, which he described as evidence of possible ballot harvesting.

The mayor further questioned whether Mahmood was eligible to run for office, reviving allegations concerning his primary residence. A previous investigation commissioned by the city concluded that Mahmood lived with his family in Troy, in Oakland County, rather than in Hamtramck. Hamtramck’s charter requires candidates for elected municipal office to reside within the city.

Mahmood has repeatedly denied the residency allegations, saying that he lives in an apartment on Holbrook Street while his family resides in Troy.

Alharbi, however, maintained that his opponent “doesn’t even live in Hamtramck” and alleged that the apartment was being used only to create the appearance of city residency. He said the dispute remains under review in a separate legal case.

“The residents of Hamtramck deserve leadership that is locally invested, legally qualified and fully committed to our community,” Alharbi said.

Meanwhile, Alharbi faces an official ethics complaint filed by City Councilmember Mohammed Alsomiri, who accuses the mayor of orchestrating a voting maneuver intended to make city taxpayers cover approximately $200,000 in legal expenses Alharbi incurred while fighting to prevent the 37 ballots from being counted.

The Council recently voted 2–1 to cover the full legal costs. The decision was subsequently deemed invalid because only three councilmembers participated, leaving the meeting one member short of the quorum required under the City Charter.

Tensions inside City Hall continue to grow as residents and officials await the outcome of the prolonged contest over Hamtramck’s mayoral office.