Hand counts have been the custom from virtually the beginning of the election, and have occurred in some contests in every Florida election for the past two decades. They are authorized by Florida law and the law of other states including that of Texas. The very people who always worship at the pronouncements of state legislatures and state government now want to deny their statute on hand count and the determination by the local officials of Florida pursuant to that law. A deadline in this election process has to be taken literally. Any first year law student knows that is the purest form of bull roar.
Statutes are often in conflict.
You have to read deadlines in the total context of the election law. If one statute says there's a deadline, and the other statute says there can be hand counts, those statutes have to be read together and reconciled. As with all communication, statutes have to be read in context and interpreted in context. You can't read one sentence of a statute and ignore a library full of other laws and cases. The votes have been counted.