Muhith Mahmood said he is filing a recount after yesterday’s official election results deemed Adam Alharbi the winner of the Hamtramck mayoral election by only 6 votes. 

The results came two weeks after election day because 120 absentee ballots had to wait on signatures and other small fixes before being counted. 

An additional 37 votes from absentee ballots were excluded from the official count after they were found improperly stored in City Clerk Rana Faraj’s office. 

Faraj was suspended and is now under investigation. 

Mahmood said he isn’t upset by the election results. He said someone has to lose. 

“That’s just what democracy should be,” Mahmood said. “But the way canvassers denied or rejected 37 votes, that is concerning…I think that was not the right thing to do.” 

Mahmood told WDET he is filing for a recount. 

Alharbi told WDET that he’s glad the election is over. He also said he plans on contacting the FBI and DOJ to help remedy the continuous legal issues in the city elections. 

“I plan to bring awareness to people that have that language barrier and tell them not to give out their empty ballot to any candidate or any person,” Alharbi said. “I’m just gonna try to find any way possible to fight voter fraud and ballot harvesting.” 

Alharbi sued Mahmood after the election claiming he doesn’t live in Hamtramck and is ineligible to run for Mayor. 

He also filed for a restraining order that would have prevented the Wayne County Board of Canvassers from certifying Mahmood as the winner. 

On Monday, a judge denied the temporary hold on announcing the election results. 

Mahmood said he does live in Hamtramck. 

Alharbi said he will continue his suit against Mahmood—for now.