(a) The county board of elections shall arrange for the computation and canvassing of the returns of votes cast at each primary and election at its office or at some other convenient public place at the county seat with adequate accommodations for the watchers and attorneys authorized by this act to be present, who shall be permitted to keep or check their own computation of the votes cast in the several election districts as the returns from the same are read, as hereinafter directed. The county board shall give at least one week's previous notice by newspaper publication, as provided by section 106 of this act,¹ of the time and place when and where the board will commence and hold its sessions for the computation and canvassing of the returns, and keep copies of such advertisement posted in its office during said period. The county board shall also prepare a sufficient number of blank forms of returns made out in proper manner, and headed as the nature of the primary or election may require, for making out full and fair statements of all votes which shall have been cast within the county or any political district therein, according to the returns from the several election districts thereof, for any person voted for therein, or upon any question voted upon therein. All the clerks of the county board and other persons designated to assist in the computation and canvassing of the votes shall be first sworn to perform their duties impartially and not read, write, count or certify any return or vote falsely or fraudulently.

(b) If any member of the county board of any county shall be a candidate for any nomination or election to public office, he shall not act as a member of said board for the computation and canvassing of returns, but the other members, if qualified, and if both such remaining members are not of the same political party affiliation, shall act; and in case in any county there are not at least a majority of the members of said board so qualified, two (2) or more judges of the court of common pleas shall be designated by said court to act as a return board provided that neither of them is a candidate for any nomination or election to public office; and if there shall be only one judge of such court in such county or if less than two (2) judges are qualified and able to act in such county, any judge who is qualified may act alone, and if there be none qualified, the following county officers, in order named, not being candidates for any nomination or election to any public office, shall act as the return board: the prothonotary, sheriff, county treasurer, clerk of the orphans' court, clerk of oyer and terminer and quarter sessions court, register of wills and the recorder of deeds. If none of the above officers can qualify, the president judge of the court of common pleas in such county shall make a written request to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for the assignment of a judge from another judicial district, who shall act as the return board. The county solicitor shall serve as counsel for the return board in the several counties of the Commonwealth and shall receive no additional compensation therefor in addition to his compensation as county solicitor.