Muhith Mahmood Leads Hamtramck Mayor Adam Alharbi by 12 Votes After Ballot Recount

Muhith Mahmood has moved ahead of incumbent Hamtramck Mayor Adam Alharbi by 12 votes following the counting of 37 disputed ballots from the November 2025 mayoral election, according to unofficial results reported by Wayne County officials.

The updated tally shows Mahmood with 2,089 votes and Alharbi with 2,077. The 37 ballots were discovered in an envelope at the Hamtramck city clerk’s office the day after the November 2025 election. A judge ordered the ballots to be counted in September, and the Wayne County Board of Canvassers reviewed them on Friday, October 16.

Despite the change in the unofficial results, the board has not certified the revised totals because a lawsuit challenging Mahmood’s residency in Hamtramck remains pending. A hearing in Wayne County Circuit Court is scheduled for October 22.

Following the announcement, Mahmood celebrated with supporters and thanked Hamtramck residents and voters. He questioned why the decision to count the ballots had taken so long and expressed gratitude to those who supported him.

Alharbi, meanwhile, said he would not concede and plans to challenge the election results. He also raised concerns about the condition of the ballots when they were discovered.

Alharbi’s attorney, Nabih H. Ayad, called for an investigation by federal authorities and the Michigan attorney general, raising questions about how the ballots were handled and whether forensic evidence, including DNA and fingerprints, could help establish what happened.

The mayoral contest remains unresolved, with the October 22 court hearing expected to be a key step in determining how the dispute over Mahmood’s residency will affect the election outcome.

Correct the election date inconsistencyClarify the recount timeline