Punching Bags with Candidates' Faces Linked to 37 Uncounted Ballots in Hamtramck, Michigan

The incident has upended Hamtramck City Hall and left the legitimacy of the razor-thin mayoral election result under continued scrutiny.

Mar. 11, 2026 at 10:52am

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Punching bags hanging inside Hamtramck's city clerk's office — one with mayoral candidate Muhith Mahmood's face taped to it — helped set off a chain of events that left 37 ballots uncounted in the city's Nov. 5 mayoral election, a race Mahmood lost by just 11 votes. The fallout has upended Hamtramck City Hall, with the former city clerk's firing reported as officials cited the punching bags and the handling of the ballots as reasons for her dismissal. Mahmood has appealed a judge's decision allowing the ballots to remain excluded, leaving the legitimacy of the razor-thin result under continued scrutiny.

Why it matters

The incident has raised concerns about election integrity and transparency in Hamtramck, a city that has faced other election-related issues in recent years, including charges against council members for allegedly forging absentee ballot signatures. The exclusion of the 37 ballots, which could have changed the outcome of the narrowly decided mayoral race, has further eroded public trust in the electoral process.

The details

After the polls closed on Election Day, interim City Manager Alexander Lagrou and a number of other unauthorized city officials entered the clerk's office, where 37 uncounted absentee ballots were discovered. Officials' entry broke the chain of custody, and canvassers ultimately chose not to count the ballots as a result. Though those ballots could have changed the outcome of the narrowly decided race, they were not part of the count, including the recount requested by Mahmood.

  • On November 5, 2026, the Hamtramck mayoral election was held.
  • On November 7, 2026, the 37 uncounted ballots were discovered, sealed, and delivered to the county under police escort.
  • In December 2026, a judge ruled that canvassers had the authority to leave the 37 ballots out of the final count.
  • In January 2027, Adam Alharbi was sworn in as the new mayor of Hamtramck.
  • In March 2027, former City Clerk Rana Faraj's firing was reported, with officials citing the punching bags and the handling of the ballots as reasons for her dismissal.

The players

Muhith Mahmood

A former city council member who ran for mayor of Hamtramck and lost by just 11 votes. He has appealed a judge's decision allowing the 37 uncounted ballots to remain excluded from the final count.

Adam Alharbi

The current mayor of Hamtramck, who defeated Mahmood in the mayoral race. He has referred to the 37 uncounted ballots as 'fraudulent,' a characterization disputed by other officials and Mahmood's lawyers.

Alexander Lagrou

The interim City Manager of Hamtramck, who along with other unauthorized city officials, entered the clerk's office after the polls closed on Election Day, breaking the chain of custody for the 37 uncounted ballots.

Rana Faraj

The former City Clerk of Hamtramck, who was fired with officials citing the punching bags and the handling of the ballots as reasons for her dismissal.

Abe Siblani

The Deputy Clerk of Hamtramck, who told Votebeat in November that the missing 37 ballots were the result of 'human error at the counting board' where ballots are supposed to be fed into the tabulator.

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What they’re saying

“We all talk about transparency. This is not a good example.”

— Muhith Mahmood, Former City Council Member and Mayoral Candidate

“Whoever they voted for, that should be in the count.”

— Muhith Mahmood, Former City Council Member and Mayoral Candidate

“The 37 ballots 'came after the election' and should not have been counted to begin with.”

— Adam Alharbi, Mayor of Hamtramck

What’s next

Mahmood's appeal of the judge's decision to exclude the 37 ballots is currently before the Michigan Court of Appeals, leaving the legitimacy of the mayoral election result under continued scrutiny.

The takeaway

The incident in Hamtramck highlights the importance of maintaining strict election protocols and the secure chain of custody for ballots to ensure the integrity of the electoral process. The exclusion of the 37 ballots, which could have changed the outcome of the narrowly decided mayoral race, has further eroded public trust in the city's elections and underscores the need for greater transparency and accountability in election administration.