Hamtramck mayoral election overturned after disputed ballots counted nearly a year later

Nearly a year after the November 2025 Hamtramck mayoral election, challenger Muhith Mahmood has taken a 2,089 to 2,077 vote lead over Mayor Adam Alharbi after 37 disputed absentee ballots were counted on October 16, 2026. The ballots had been excluded due to a chain of custody breach, leading to extended litigation. Certification remains pending an October 22, 2026 court hearing regarding Mahmood's residency eligibility.

Oct. 16 tabulation and updated results

• ▪Following a vote count on October 16, 2026, challenger Muhith Mahmood overtook incumbent Mayor Adam Alharbi in the November 2025 Hamtramck, Michigan mayoral election with 2,089 votes to 2,077.
• ▪The Wayne County Election Commission tabulated 37 previously uncounted absentee ballots on October 16, 2026, during a public meeting at noon that included individual machine inspection.
• ▪Of 37 disputed absentee ballots counted October 16, 2026, 30 went to Muhith Mahmood, six to Adam Alharbi, and one to a write-in candidate, reversing Alharbi's previous 11-vote lead from the November 2025 election.

Initial exclusion of the 37 ballots

• ▪Wayne County election canvassers originally deadlocked on counting the 37 absentee ballots in November 2025 because the unauthorized entry into the clerk's office broke the ballots' chain of custody.
• ▪The 37 absentee ballots were excluded from the November 2025 election totals after former City Clerk Rana Faraj reported that unauthorized individuals entered her office where ballots were stored.

Legal proceedings over the uncounted ballots

• ▪Wayne County Circuit Judge Kathleen McCarthy ordered on October 9, 2026, that the 37 disputed absentee ballots be tabulated no later than October 16, 2026.
• ▪The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in March 2026 that the 37 excluded absentee ballots must be reviewed and added to the official Hamtramck mayoral election tallies.
• ▪Muhith Mahmood filed a lawsuit in December 2025 seeking to count the 37 uncounted absentee ballots after an initial circuit court ruling blocked their tabulation.

Residency challenges against Muhith Mahmood

• ▪A Wayne County Circuit Court hearing scheduled for October 22, 2026, will review legal challenges to Muhith Mahmood's residency, with an adverse ruling potentially forcing a new election.
• ▪The updated Hamtramck mayoral election results will remain uncertified until a circuit court judge conducts a review and resolves Mahmood's residency challenge.
• ▪Mayor Adam Alharbi is challenging whether Muhith Mahmood is eligible to hold office, alleging Mahmood does not satisfy Hamtramck city residency requirements.