The Wayne County Board of Canvassers is set to count 37 votes in the Hamtramck mayoral race on Friday, Oct. 16, a county official told the Detroit Free Press. Hamtramck Mayor Adam Alharbi, who could lose his seat depending on the results, is asking state Attorney General Dana Nessel to take action on alleged voter fraud in the city.
The counting of the absentee ballots is to take place at noon in Detroit at the Vigliotti Building, 1900 E. Jefferson, Dorian Tyus, a spokesperson for Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett, told the Free Press. The tabulation of the ballots could result in the overturning of the November 2025 election, which was won by Alharbi by only 11 votes. Alharbi defeated then councilman Muhith Mahmood after a hotly contested race
between the two political rivals.
Alharbi told the Free Press that even if the counting on Friday shows that Mahmood has more votes, it doesn't automatically mean he will lose his seat because "those are untrusted ballots" that were found without a proper "chain of custody." He alleged, "There were unauthorized individuals at the city clerk's office when those ballots were found, so they're untrusted." Alharbi said the ballots "are still going to be challenged."
Alharbi and his attorney, Nabih Ayad, also maintain that Mahmood does not live in Hamtramck and is therefore not eligible to be mayor, a claim that Mahmood has strongly denied. Ayad added that even after Friday's tabulation, the votes "will not be certified by the board of canvassers until further order of the court to address his residency issues if he indeed lives in Hamtramck."
Wayne County Chief Judge Patricia Perez Fresard on Nov. 14, 2025, denied a request by Alharbi, filed by Ayad, to disqualify Mahmood over residency.
Alharbi said a state investigation into alleged voter fraud in Hamtramck has been completed, calling upon Nessel to take action, such as bringing charges against those who may be involved in ballot harvesting and other types of election fraud.
"She's not acting," Alharbi said of Nessel. "I don't know what's holding her from acting on our elections. The integrity of our elections is very, very important."
Nessel's office did not immediately return a message seeking comment Tuesday evening.
Two councilmen, Mohammad Hassan and Muhtasin Sadman, were convicted earlier of election fraud. Hassan was sentenced in August to one year of probation in his case, WDIV-TV reported. Sadman was also given one-year probation and a $500 fine, the Arab American News reported.
In another case involving Hamtramck, Wayne County Judge Mellisa Cox ruled on Tuesday, Oct. 13, against Alharbi and in favor of the Hamtramck city council in a dispute over former city manager Adel Al-Adlani, who was fired in June by the council. Alharbi opposed the firing of Al-Adlani and filed a lawsuit against the council.
Councilman Hassan had brought the resolution to fire Al-Adlani. Another councilman, Yousuf Saed, alleged Al-Adlani had "20 violations" and "three big complaints against him." The council voted 4-2 to fire Al-Adlani, saying the charter gives them the right to terminate a city manager.
“The Court agreed with the Council that the Charter does not give the Mayor’s office a veto over a Council vote,” Hamtramck city attorney Odey Meroueh, who represented the city council in the case, said in a statement. “The Council respects the Mayor and his office; however, on this question the Charter is clear, and the Court said so.”
Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com, X @nwarikoo, or Facebook @nwarikoo
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Date set for Wayne County to count 37 votes in Hamtramck mayoral race
