(b) No order or decision of the court under the provisions of sections 1701 and 1702 of this act, shall be deemed a final adjudication regarding the results of any primary or election, so as to preclude any contest thereof under the provisions of this article, and no such order or decision shall affect the official returns of any election district, unless a petition to open the ballot boxes or to recanvass the votes on a voting machine or an electronic voting system shall have been presented before the certification of the returns of the county by the county board, or unless a contest shall have been instituted in the manner provided by this article.

(c) If upon the opening of any ballot box or recanvass of any voting machine or electronic voting system under the provisions of this article, it shall be found that fraud was committed in the computation of the votes cast on the ballots or voting machine, or in the marking of the ballots contained therein or otherwise in connection with such ballots, the county board shall take such steps as shall be appropriate to enable the ballot box and contents thereof or voting machine or electronic voting system to be available as evidence in any prosecution which may be begun against any person or persons alleged to be guilty of such fraud.