(a) The polls at any general or special election shall be opened by at least 8:00 a.m. of the designated day, and shall be kept open until 8:00 p.m. of the same day.

(b) Immediately before the opening of the polls, the Election Board must, in the presence of any person or persons assembled at the polling place, open, exhibit, purge and seal the ballot boxes, and thereafter the ballot boxes must not be removed from the polling place or presence of the bystanders until the ballots are counted, nor shall they be opened until after the polls are finally closed.

(c) Immediately after opening the polls and before receiving any ballots, the chairman or one of the judges shall proclaim in a loud voice from the floor of the polling place that the polls of such election are opened, and 30 minutes before the closing of the polls, the chairman or one of the judges shall make public proclamation that the polls will close in half an hour; when the polls are finally closed the fact must be proclaimed aloud at the polling place, and after such proclamation only those electors who have previously been given ballots and who are then voting or waiting to vote shall be allowed to place their marked ballots in the ballot box. [Code 1979 § 5.8.]