WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. – The Wayne County Board of Canvassers is wrestling with election issues in two cities, including dozens of uncounted ballots that could affect a razor-thin mayoral race in Hamtramck.
The board met Thursday to review election issues in both Hamtramck and Dearborn, where questions about ballots and storage have emerged more than a week after the November election.
In the Hamtramck mayoral race, Adam Alharbi currently leads challenger Muhith Mahmood by just 11 votes, with unofficial results showing 2,009 votes for Alharbi and 1,998 for Mahmood. The race’s outcome remains uncertain as officials debate whether to count 37 absentee ballots discovered days after the election.
Hamtramck City Clerk Rana Faraj, who is currently on administrative leave, testified that the ballots were found inside envelopes in her office after Election Day. The discovery has raised concerns about proper ballot handling procedures and chain of custody.
“We took a picture immediately and called you guys before we even picked the envelopes up, asking what do we do?” Faraj said.
The Wayne County Board of Canvassers delayed their decision on the 37 uncounted Hamtramck ballots until Friday, as they weigh the legal and procedural implications of including these votes in the final tally.
The board also addressed separate ballot handling issues in Dearborn, where the city clerk stored ballots in unapproved bags, which violates election law and is considered a misdemeanor. While this procedural violation was acknowledged, the board said it will not impact election results.
Both Hamtramck mayoral candidates attended Thursday’s meeting. Alharbi urged the board to reject the newly discovered absentee ballots, while Mahmood advocated for their inclusion.
“Logically, they are supposed to throw them away. They are not supposed to be added,” Alherbi said.
“The clerk made a mistake. That doesn’t mean this should all go in the garbage,” Mahmood said.
Adding to the controversy, Alharbi has filed a lawsuit challenging Mahmood’s eligibility to serve as mayor, claiming his opponent doesn’t meet residency requirements.
Also in Hamtramck, 120 of 150 previously rejected absentee ballots have now been counted after voters corrected technical issues, including missing signatures or mismatched signatures.
The board must certify all election results by Tuesday, Nov. 19, with the state’s certification deadline set for November 25.