Any court before which any contested election may be pending or the clerk of such court in vacation may issue a writ to the election commissioner or county clerk of the county in which the contested election was held commanding him or her to open, count, compare with the list of voters, and examine the ballots in his or her office which were cast at the election in contest and to certify the result of such count, comparison, and examination to the court from which the writ was issued.