Hamtramck Council Member Caught on Video Handling Ballots Before Election

A city council member in Hamtramck was caught on surveillance footage appearing to place multiple absentee ballots into a drop box shortly before winning re-election in a local primary.

Abu Musa was seen on August 1 in the passenger seat of a vehicle, passing stacks of ballots to the driver, who then deposited them into a nearby ballot box. The footage shows clearly the exchange and deposit process.

Just days later, Musa secured his re-election with 1,129 votes, defeating 11 other candidates. Of those votes, only 286 were cast on Election Day, with the majority—843—being absentee ballots, according to reports.

Without the absentee ballots, Musa would have likely finished fifth in the race. The footage emerged as part of an ongoing investigation into election irregularities, which was prompted after reports of large bundles of absentee ballots with suspiciously similar handwriting—raising questions about their legitimacy.

While Musa’s actions are under scrutiny, he has not been formally charged. He is also at the center of an investigation questioning his residency status in Hamtramck, which is a requirement for holding his council seat. Musa denied any wrongdoing regarding the residency allegations, and he has not commented publicly on the footage.

State law in Michigan does not specify a limit on how many absentee ballots a person can physically submit on behalf of others, but such submissions are restricted to immediate family members or co-habitants. Experts emphasize that only close relatives or co-residents can return absentee ballots for others.