Election contest – Statewide – Procedures for recount and initial hearing. In all cases for which the Supreme Court finds it appropriate that there be conducted a recount or partial recount of ballots cast in any election jurisdiction, or a hearing regarding the conduct of the election within any election jurisdiction, the Supreme Court shall, in consultation with the Chief Judge of the Judicial Circuit in which each such election jurisdiction is located, assign a Circuit Judge of that Judicial circuit to preside over the recount or hearing. If more than one election jurisdiction within a single Judicial circuit is subject to recount or hearing, the Supreme Court may assign a different Circuit Judge to preside over the recount or hearing for each such election jurisdiction.
     Each Circuit Judge appointed pursuant to this Section shall supervise the examination of the records or equipment of the election authority whose jurisdiction is subject to the recount or hearing, and shall take evidence in the same manner and upon like notice as in other civil cases. At the conclusion of the recount or hearing, the Circuit Judge shall make a recommendation as to the assessment of the costs of any examination of records and equipment of the election authority against the party requesting the examination; provided that such recommendation shall not call for the assessment of more than $50 per precinct. If one party requests the right to examine some but not all records and equipment in one precinct and another party requests the right to examine other records or equipment in the same precinct, the Circuit Judge shall recommend an appropriate apportionment of the costs between the parties. During any recount or hearing presided over by a Circuit Judge, pursuant to this Section the Supreme Court shall retain jurisdiction over the contest, and may issue procedural orders or interim rulings regarding the recount or hearing, either upon motion of a party or upon its own motion.