[10.26.11] Bush v Gore part 2

Facts/details
1) There were four interventions in the Bush v Gore case. The dates were 11/24, 12/4, 12/9, and 12/12.
2) The Florida Supreme Court interpreted state law to require that the deadline for a manual recount was to be extended.
3) The US Cons requires states legislatures, not state constitutions, to determine the manner of appointing electors.
4) The different technology has an effort on the results.
5) SC: statewide recount proceeding has to be overseen by a single judge. Standard for counting votes must be the same and must be concrete enough to ensure that similarly situated people will be treated similarly.
6) Some counties use the butterfly ballot even though an "unusual number of voters are confused [after/while voting], and do not successfully vote for the candidate of their choice."
7) Some shady business: Bush won. The vote was 5-4 in the SC, and the "five-member majority consisted of the most conservative justices."
8) The Court's opinion had no "basis in precedent or history."

Questions
1) How was the FL SC extending the deadline a highly controversial interpretation of the law? I don't understand how it would violate the 14th amendment; doing a recount would ensure more accurate results, wouldn't it?
2) Why don't people set standards to ensure that "similarly situated people would be treated similarly"?
3) How would people amend states' constitutions? Similar process as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States?
4) How would one appoint an elector? (Page 127, second to last para. Sorry if this is a stupid question.)
5) If some votes were not counted, why not recount them? (Page 131)