§ 26 O.S. § 26-8-112Conduct of recount - Duties of presiding judge

Once service has been accomplished, the recount shall commence
pursuant to the order executed by the secretary of the appropriate
election board. In the event of a recount for an office under the
jurisdiction of the State Election Board, the actual recount of
ballots shall be conducted by the county election board or boards as
assigned by the Secretary of the State Election Board. The recount
shall be conducted in the courtroom of the district court in the
county or counties for which the recount is requested, and it shall
be the duty of a judge of said court in and for said county to
attend and, in conjunction with said county election board, conduct
such recount. The petitioner or petitioner's agent shall be present
and remain in attendance when the district court judge calls the
proceedings to order. In the event the petitioner or petitioner's
agent is not present, the recount shall not be conducted and the
deposit shall be forfeited by the petitioner. It shall be the
exclusive and sole duty of said judge to hear evidence as to whether
the ballots have been preserved in the manner and by the officers
prescribed by law, and as to whether they are the identical ballots
cast by the voters, and that they have not been exposed to the reach
of unauthorized persons, as to afford a reasonable opportunity of
their having been changed or tampered with. The judgment of said
court upon such questions shall be final and conclusive. If the
court cannot determine that the ballots have been properly
preserved, then no recount shall be conducted. If the judgment of
the court is that the ballots have been properly preserved, then the
recount of the ballots shall be conducted immediately thereafter
under the exclusive supervision of the county election board.