HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (WXYZ) — Thursday afternoon, Hamtramck City Clerk Rana Faraj testified in front of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers about 37 missing absentee ballots.
The Hamtramck mayoral race separates the top candidates by just 11 votes.
Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below:
The board of canvassers had a choice. They could vote to include the absentee ballots that weren't tabulated in the election or permanently reject those ballots.
Mayoral candidates Muhith Mahmood and front runner Adam Alharbi looked on as Faraj explained to the board of canvassers how the ballots were found in her office the day after the election.
She said on election night, her office received a call from the absentee voting board informing her there was a discrepancy. Faraj recalled the AV board said the number of ballots tabulated by the machines did not match the number of physical ballots turned in.
Out of 990 absentee ballots, Faraj said they were 37 short.
"Now, many times, we have older machines. There's a lot of jams. So, we weren't sure what the issue was. We looked around," she explained. "The next day when we were retaining the envelopes is when one of my clerk's realized that there were still ballots inside of the envelopes."
She's now on paid administrative leave and is accused of meddling with the election.
The validity of those ballots are being questioned by the attorney for the board of canvassers, which must decide whether those ballots can count in the election.
Faraj told them the outcome of a razor-thin mayoral race could swing in either direction.
Previous coverage: Hamtramck city clerk placed on leave amid election dispute allegations
Mahmood told 7 News Detroit, "We know that voting is people's constitutional right, and if somebody voted and clerk making mistake, they should not pay for it. They have right to choose their future leader.. me or Adam Alharbi. I don't know who's gonna win."
Adam Alharbi, who holds the lead, said, "Those 37 votes came out of nowhere. We don't know where they came from (or if) they were counted after the deadline or not. We're asking the board to just throw them away. They could have been an attempt to voter fraud."
Previous coverage: Hamtramck mayoral race razor thin; rejected absentee ballots could determine outcome
The board voted to table the issue for further discussion, so everyone can get on the same page.
The city clerk and her attorney declined to comment at this time.
