The four counties granted the request and began manual recounts.

Following this logic to its conclusion would require a circuit court to order partial manual recounts upon the mere filing of a contest.

Democrats say that manual recounts can detect votes that machines miss.

The rule says no manual recounts will be conducted when votes are cast by touch-screen machine.

Indeed, the Bush campaign was seeking an injunction yesterday to halt manual recounts in Florida.

"The breadth of this is extraordinary," said one aide, referring to the court's demand for manual recounts in so many counties.

After the last election, the Republicans fought vigorously to stop manual recounts, insisting that they were inaccurate and subject to human error.

The court turned to the questions whether and when the secretary may ignore late manual recounts.

He won even though filing deadlines, like manual recounts, seem neutral and had long been an accepted practice.

He also said a legal contest to an election was never supposed to include manual recounts of ballots.