The Wayne County Election is set to count the missing ballots in Hamtramck’s mayoral race tomorrow at noon.

The 37 absentee ballots were found in the city clerk’s office just days after the election. A Wayne County Circuit judge has ordered that the ballots must be counted despite a year-long legal battle.

Currently, Adam Alharbi is the mayor, contested by former Hamtramck city council member Muhith Mahmood. 

Despite the results, Alharbi will continue to challenge Mahmood’s residency in a separate lawsuit. CBS News reports the recount could lead to three different possible outcomes: Alharbi retains the seat, Muhith wins the seat but is not able to get certified without the court’s approval or the seat becomes vacant.

A court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 22 to review the developments.  

Additional Headlines for Oct. 15, 2026

Anti-surveillance legislation put forward by Rashida Tlaib

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib introduced a bill to ban federal funding for surveillance products such as Flock Safety cameras as well as facial recognition technology.

Flock Safety says its automated license plate readers and other products have helped police catch criminals and lower crime. Inkster resident Charles Stephens says he originally thought the cameras could stop reckless driving on his street. Now he’s not so sure about that.  

“They (drivers) run stop signs. There’s a playground right across the street. Some kids live two doors down. They run across the street to the playground...the camera doesn’t detect speed.”  

Tlaib and other critics say authorities could use surveillance data to stalk people to stifle free speech. 

Nuclear power plant plan approved

Federal regulators are approving a new plan to remove a fuel assembly at the Palisades nuclear plant in Southwest Michigan. 

Holtec International owns the plant. It’s been working to bring Palisades back online after it went into decommissioning in 2022. As workers began to load fuel in the reactor in August, one fuel assembly tipped. 

The company said it’ll need to retrieve the assembly from the reactor in order to load any more fuel. Some critics argued the plan creates new risks without understanding the root cause. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff say they found no significant hazards. 

Get Out to Vote event

The City of Detroit Department of Elections is hosting their Get Out to Vote event.

The Scarefest and voter event will take place at the Northwest Activities Center. That’s at 18100 Meyers Road, Detroit, MI.

People can vote that day, engage in family activities and receive resources & giveaways. It takes place on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.