Hamtramck election results are under a cloud of suspicion

Breaking news … For those questioning the short deadline for the 150 voters who have to cure their absentee ballot, yes, it’s based on Michigan election law.
The city informed voters that they have to cure their ballot by no later than 5 p.m. today, Nov. 7.
Michigan election law states that “an absent voter ballot return envelope that is not cured by 5 p.m. on the third day following the election remains rejected.”
The ballots in question either lacked the voter’s signature, or the signature does not match the signature on file.
Those voters were informed by certified mail. If you suspect or are just curious about whether your absentee ballot was counted, you can call the city clerk’s office at (313) 800-5233.

The final vote tally will be conducted by Wayne County election officials, and results are not expected until sometime next week.

By Charles Sercombe
Hamtramck has a new mayor, Adam Alharbi, who was considered the most likely to win.
But it’s still too close to call.
In fact, there is a good chance the results could be overturned, because 150 absentee ballots could not be counted, and one precinct has to be totally recounted by Wayne County because of faulty tabulation.
City Clerk Rana Faraj said the absentee ballots in question had missing signatures, or signatures that don’t match with those that the voters had on record.
“We currently have dozens of those ballots that are waiting to be corrected,” Faraj told WDIV-Channel 4. “They’re putting the word out to the residents to get out there and correct those ballots so that they can be counted and sort of officiate the election.”
Those voters were informed that the deadline to respond is today, Nov. 7, to reconcile, or as it’s officially known “cure,” their ballots.
This election was clouded from the onset by a prior history of suspected ballot harvesting and election fraud. That suspicion lingered into this election.
The obvious inconsistencies delayed the tally of election results. As of now, Alharbi has won — by only 11 votes, over City Councilmember Muhith Mahmood.
Mahmood did not seek re-election for another term on council.
Even if the ballots are straightened out, there is likelihood that one of the candidates will call for a recount.
Write-in mayoral candidate Lynn Blasey came in third, with only 502 votes.
Alharbi, who was endorsed by Mayor Amer Ghalib, won, at least at this point, with 2,009 votes.
Mahmood garnered 1,998 votes.
(Mayor Ghalib did not seek re-election after serving one term. Instead, he hopes to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the next ambassador to Kuwait.)
In the city council race, as expected, incumbent Abu Musa topped the field of six candidates with 1,645 votes, with second-place finisher Nayeem Choudhury, a former councilmember, just 11 – yes, 11 again – votes behind, with a total of 1,634.
Coming in third place is newcomer Yousef Saed, who finished with 1,437 votes.
These three top finishers will go on to start new four-year terms in January.
However, there is also a suspicion that the council election was rigged by way of harvested ballots. Also, Councilmember Musa is under investigation for not actually living in Hamtramck.
Musa has stated that his wife and family live in Warren, while he lives in Hamtramck.
Councilmember Mahmood is also suspected of not being a resident. He has said that his wife and family live in Troy while he lives in Hamtramck.
On top of this, Councilmember Mohammed Hassan is facing felony charges of election fraud. Felony election fraud charges were recently dismissed against Councilmember Muhtasin Sadman because two key witnesses failed to appear at his preliminary examination.
However, those witnesses may face felony charges for not showing up, and the original felony charges could be reinstated against Sadman at a later date.
Even former councilmember Nayeem Choudhury, who finished in second place in this election, was suspected in the past of ballot harvesting, but he was never charged with election fraud.
In all, 4,624 voters (32 percent of those registered with the city) participated in Tuesday’s election, with the majority — 3,023 — voting by absentee ballot.
By contrast, 1,601 voted in person.
Tuesday was a sunny day, with temperatures in the low 60s, although a cold wind picked up by mid-afternoon.
That was the most tranquil aspect of the day: a couple of scuffles that looked like they may break out into full-fledged fights– or as one reserve police officer called it, “fisticuffs” — happened outside the Senior Plaza on Holbrook and at the Community Center.
In both instances, independent journalist Ahmed Sharaf of the YUC News Network, who is also known as “Sunglasses Man” because he is always seen in public wearing them, seemed to be at the center of the disputes. Just what the disputes were about was not clear since the combatants were yelling in Arabic.
Police officers and City Clerk Faraj had to come to the scenes to cool tempers and restore order.
But, from what could be gleaned from relevant Facebook posts, it seemed a number of people were taking issue with Sharaf’s journalism, calling it “fake news.”
The backdrop of suspected election fraud caused a number of voters to boycott the election, or, at least, vote in protest.
Phillip Salatrik posted a graphic on social media, saying, “I didn’t vote today” to mock the sticker voters are given at the precincts.
In his post, Salatrik said: “Because you’re a horrible, horrible government that lies and cheats, and I’m just so mad at you City of Hamtramck.”
Chris Schneider, who founded Hamtramck’s art collective Hatch, went even darker on social media, saying before the election results were known:

“The election is over. In this city, mail-in ballots are all that matter. Might as well just ask the candidates how many ballots they harvested and let them hold office since this is how it has been operating the past decade with no accountability.”

Mayoral election vote results:
Adam Alharbi: 2,009
Muhith Mahmood: 1,998
Write-in candidate Lynn Blasey: 502

City Council election vote results:
Abu Musa: 1,645
Nayeem Choudhury: 1,634
Yousuf Saed: 1,437
Luqman Saleh: 1,368
Abdulmalik Kassim: 1,367
Motahar Fadhel: 1,253
Write-in candidate Joe Strzalka: Not available
Write-in candidate Diane Elizabeth Frkan: Not available

Updated Nov. 7, 2025