(a) Except as this subchapter affects the method of registering votes and ascertaining the result, the laws of this State pertaining to elections shall be applicable. The laws pertaining to early or absentee voters shall in no way be affected by this subchapter, and votes cast by early or absentee voters shall be counted with votes counted on vote tabulators.

(b) In towns using vote tabulators, the board of civil authority may vote to open polling places at 5:00 a.m., provided that at least three elections officials are present, two of whom are from different parties. If all early voter absentee ballots have not been deposited into the vote tabulators before the closing of the polls at 7:00 p.m., the elections officials shall continue to deposit ballots using the same procedure as provided in subsection 2561(b) of this title, treating each ballot as a voter waiting to cast his or her ballot at the close of the polls. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2001, No. 6, § 2, eff. April 10, 2001; 2003, No. 59, § 23; 2007, No. 121 (Adj. Sess.), § 9; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 27.)