Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the provisions of chapter 145 and chapter 153 concerning absentee voting at primaries, conduct of primaries and return and tabulation of the vote at such primaries shall apply as nearly as practicable and in the manner prescribed by the Secretary of the State, to a presidential preference primary. The primary officials of each party for each polling place shall be as specified in § 9-436, except that (1) the appointment of assistant registrars of voters and absentee ballot counters shall be permitted but not required, (2) the minimum number of official checkers shall be one, (3) the minimum number of voting tabulator tenders shall be one for each two voting tabulators in use, (4) if two parties are holding primaries and the registrars of voters of such parties so agree, such registrars of voters may jointly appoint (A) one moderator of both primaries and (B) one enrolled member of either party to serve as head moderator of both primaries, (5) notwithstanding any reduction in the number of primary officials as permitted by this section, any duty required of primary officials by the general statutes may be performed by one or more primary officials, at the direction of the registrar of voters of the party of such officials, and (6) the registrar of voters shall have the sole power to appoint such officials. In making such appointments the registrar shall attempt, to the extent practicable, to provide representation for each candidate at each polling place. The provisions of § 9-436a shall apply to each candidate whose name appears on the ballot, except that each such candidate, through such candidate’s authorized or known representative, may submit to the registrar of voters the name of one designee as candidate checker for each polling place, and the registrar of voters shall appoint such designee as candidate checker for such candidate. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 9-438, the polls shall be open for voting at the primary between the hours of six o’clock a.m. and eight o’clock p.m. The moderator or head moderator of the primary in each town shall prepare duplicate head moderator returns in the manner provided by § 9-440, but notwithstanding the provisions of said section, the moderator or head moderator may electronically transmit such returns not later than eleven fifty-nine o’clock p.m. on primary day, provided a hard copy is mailed to the Secretary of the State not later than two o’clock p.m. of the day following the primary or shall hand deliver one of such returns to either the Secretary or the state police by two o’clock p.m. of the day following the primary. Any moderator or head moderator, as the case may be, who fails to deliver such returns to either the Secretary or the state police by such time shall pay a late filing fee of fifty dollars.