On the campaign trail … On absentee ballots and the mayor’s race

Muhith Mahmood

By Charles Sercombe
Mayoral candidate Adam Alharbi is concerned about the low number of absentee ballots being returned, so far, with just two weeks to go before election day.
“If you have your ballot, we need it returned ASAP!” Alharbi said on social media.
As of Monday, there were 3,706 absentee ballots (AV) issued to voters, but only a little over 600 returned – or 16 percent.
But is that rate of return really unusual at this point?
No, says City Clerk Rana Faraj.
“This is normal for this time of the year,” she said. “We do get a lot in the next two weeks.”
And, for those wondering if some candidates and their allies have been caught on surveillance cameras stuffing the city hall drop box with AV ballots, the answer is also no, said Faraj.
Of course, as the election nears that might change, but it appears that the alleged ballot harvesters have learned a lesson. Yet, Faraj is concerned that they’ll just find another way to cheat.
“All we’re doing is teaching them to be a better criminal,” she said.
As for mayoral candidate Muhith Mahmood, he was recently interviewed on a podcast called “Made in Banglatown.”
Here are some highlights of his one-hour interview:
Why do you live in Hamtramck but your family lives in Troy?
Mahmood: “That’s an agreement between me and my wife. We trust each other. We find there’s nothing wrong with it.”
He also says it’s easier to travel from Hamtramck to his employment at a downtown casino restaurant in Detroit. From Troy, he says, the drive is 40 minutes, and from Hamtramck it’s more like 10 minutes.
Why did you not bring your family to live in Hamtramck?
Mahmood: “There are better opportunities in Troy, for example the schooling system.”
Why serve on council for only about $300 a month?
Mahmood: “In the interest of love. … There’s no money in politics. … If you’re looking for money that’s not the position. We don’t need a politician who lies, who can cheat. You need an honest person who is willing to serve the community. …
“You need transparency. … We need to find common ground to work together for this city.”
On the accusations that some candidates are ballot harvesting and taking bribes:
Mahmood: “People using shortcuts way to gain their benefit I oppose. I’m against it. That’s not the right way to win the election.”
Why vote for him?
Mahmood: “This is your chance to pick a leader who you trust, who is going to take this city to the next step, who is willing to serve, who has the experience to serve the community in many different area in public service. You don’t want somebody just looking for a name on the frame.”
The election is Nov. 4, where the top-three vote getters in the city council race will begin a new four-year term this January, and the top vote-getter in the mayor’s race, which features write-in candidate Lynn Blasey, will also serve for four years before coming up for re-election.
There are also three write-in candidates seeking a seat on council: Joe Strzalka, Veronica Smith and Diane Elizabeth Frkan.
Those on the ballot include: Current Councilmember Abu Musa, former Councilmember Nayeem Choudhury and newcomersYousuf Saed, Motahar Fadhel, Abdulmalik Kassim, and Luqman Saleh.
Current mayor Amer Ghalib did not seek re-election, in order to focus on becoming ambassador to Kuwait should the U.S. Senate approve his nomination.
Posted Oct. 24, 2025