The county election officer of each county within the electoral district shall appoint a special election board pursuant to the requirements of Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 25-2801 to be composed of at least three members who shall make the original canvass of all ballots cast in that county. For the purposes of any canvass under this act, the electoral district within that county shall constitute one voting area, and ballots shall not be sorted according to precinct or ward. The abstract shall be prepared on a form prescribed by the secretary of state.