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Hamtramck Mayoral Race Too Close to Call as 150 Rejected Absentee Ballots Await Cure

A Friday deadline for fixing signature issues could decide the mayoral outcome, potentially reshaping close council contests.

Overview

  • Unofficial results show Adam Alharbi leading Muhith Mahmood 2,009 to 1,998, a margin of 11 votes that leaves the contest unresolved.
  • Hamtramck City Clerk Rana Faraj reports 150 absentee ballots were rejected for signature discrepancies, and voters have until Friday at 5 p.m. to correct them.
  • Election staff mailed cure notices when each ballot was rejected, the ballots remain sealed, and officials do not know how those voters cast their choices.
  • The unresolved absentee ballots could also affect city council standings, where the fourth- and fifth-place candidates trail third place by 65 and 66 votes.
  • The seat opened after outgoing mayor Amer Ghalib was nominated by President Donald Trump to be U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait, following a year of local turmoil over governance issues.