Yes, exactly. Canada still does manually counting federally. It works. Ironically, it doesn't stop the complaint about bad voting machines, but that's because people get their news from the states. There are no voting machines, no way for software to fudge the numbers just enough for someone's decided candidate to win.
Is it more of an effort than trusting a machine is working correctly? Yes, absolutely, but this is the literal fundamental foundation of democracy we are talking about - let's put in a bit of effort.
The important thing with elections isn't necessarily some abstract idea that the process itself is perfectly fair, but that people accept that it is. The process must be well known in advanced and every step auditable by all sides in real time.
It is important that the losing party can not blame the process, in order for the result to be accepted by both sides.
Brazil is as we speak a very clear example on the risks of not heeding this advice.
Is it more of an effort than trusting a machine is working correctly? Yes, absolutely, but this is the literal fundamental foundation of democracy we are talking about - let's put in a bit of effort.