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San Diego to Appeal Judge's Decision on Manual Recounts

San Diego County will appeal a Superior Court Judge's decision on manual recounts in close elections. This week ruling by Judge Patricia Cowett's affirms the Secretary of State's authority. KPBS repor

San Diego to Appeal Judge's Decision on Manual Recounts

San Diego County will appeal a Superior Court Judge's decision on manual recounts in close elections. This week ruling by Judge Patricia Cowett's affirms the Secretary of State's authority. KPBS reporter Alison St John has more.

San Diego Registrar of Voters Deborah Sieler is disputing the authority of Secretary of State Debra Bowen. Bowen has mandated that counties manually recount 10 percent of votes in close races. This week's decision is not the first time a judge has upheld the Bowen's legal authority to mandate changes in the way elections are conducted.

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Ken Karen is with Psephos , a citizen's group focused on the integrity of electronic voting technology. Karen questions the County's decision to appeal.

Karen: They're more interested in spending money on a power struggle than they are in benefiting citizens. They would be much better off focusing on increasing the integrity of the elections.

But County attorneys say the Registrar may not be able to complete a manual recount of up to 70,000 votes within the 28-day canvas period. They hope the Appeals Court will grant the County immediate relief before the primary election in two weeks.

Alison St John, KPBS News.