Section 59. Ballots for state elections shall be enclosed in a package by the state secretary, sealed and marked with the number of ballots of each kind therein, and specimen ballots, cards of instruction, cards containing abstracts of the laws imposing penalties upon voters, and copies of any measure to be submitted to the people shall be enclosed in another package, and the whole shall be further enclosed in a single package with marks on the outside indicating its contents and the polling place for which it is intended, and transmitted to city and town clerks, so as to be received at least twelve hours before the date of election. The clerks shall return receipts therefor to the secretary. He shall keep a record of the time when and the manner in which the several packages are transmitted, and shall preserve the receipts therefor for one year.
The clerk of each city and of each town using official ballots shall enclose the ballots, specimen ballots, cards of instruction and cards containing abstracts of the laws imposing penalties upon voters for city or town elections in the same manner.