Nearly a year after Hamtramck voters went to the polls, the city still does not have a settled mayor.
Last Friday, the Wayne County Board of Canvassers counted 37 long-disputed absentee ballots as per a court order. Two were write-in votes, but 29 of them went to challenger Muhith Mahmood. Just 6 went to current Mayor Adam Alharbi. That count could flip one of Michigan's closest races.
But now there's a request for a recount, suggesting the fight is far from over.
Hamtramck resident Zakaria Abdulmalek is concerned about the uncertainty.
"If they go back and forth about elections, it's most likely going to be a continuous thing," Abdulmalek said.
Representing Mayor Adam Alharbi, attorney Nabih Ayad says he filed for a recount Monday, aiming to prove that the newly counted ballots were tainted from the start.
"We are asking for a recount," Ayad said.
"They came two days after the election was closed. They were open is also another violation. The fact that they were on an unsecure area, that's in violation as well," Ayad said.
But Alharbi's challenger, Muhith Mahmood, says he is not surprised by the appeal. The former city council member believes the integrity of the votes was never a question or else they would not have been counted.
"He should have been happy he got free one year almost. If this ballot was counted at the beginning, we don't have to go through all this process," Mahmood said.
Last November, 37 absentee ballots were found in the City Clerk's office. But at the time, the Wayne County Board of Canvassers chose to exclude them. That decision set off the legal battle that is still playing out today.
When I asked Mahmood what he would do next if those ballots are recounted and they don't turn out to be in his favor, he expressed confidence in the count.
"I don't see any confusion there because this ballot was very sincerely looked over," Mahmood said.
Oakland University associate political science professor Nicole Mathew says this is an unusual situation.
"Well, I think it's pretty clear that the courts are going to have to decide what happens because I don't think either of these candidates are backing down," Mathew said.
That's because the 37 ballots aren't the only issue still hanging over this race. Alharbi's legal team is also challenging Mahmood's residency. A hearing on that question is set for Thursday.
When I asked Mahmood if he was confident the matter would be cleared up on Thursday, he pointed to his ties to the city.
"You see, this is my house. I live here. I pay taxes here. And before running for mayor. I was on counsel for four years," Mahmood said.
"Having an address in the city of Hamtramck does not qualify you to sit there and run for office. Basically, his wife lives in Troy. His children live in Troy," Ayad said.
Meanwhile, based on how things are going, Mathew says she won't be surprised if this drags until the end of Mayor Alharbi's current term.
"Courts are not fast. They like to get all the details correct, so it could drag on for a while. And if one of the candidates were to concede, then that would solve it. But it looks like they're both dug in," Mathew said.
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