Cochise County approved a full hand count of ballots along with voting machines for the midterm election. That, however, goes against Arizona law.
The Secretary of State's Office sent a letter to county officials telling them only a limited hand count is legal, according to Arizona’s Voter Procedures Manual.
"A hand count audit is prescribed by law in the procedures manual. So they cannot use that part of the law and those procedures to hand count all of the ballots," Assistant Secretary of State Allie Bones said.
Bones added that full hand counts have a high risk of human error.
She said if the county doesn’t comply with the procedures manual, then her office will take them to court.
