Section 8-412. Absentee ballots; deadline for receipt, and delivery to polling place

1. The  board  of  elections  shall  cause  all  absentee
  ballots received by it before the close of the polls on election day and
  all  ballots  contained  in envelopes showing a cancellation mark of the
  United States postal service or a foreign country's postal  service,  or
  showing  a  dated endorsement of receipt by another agency of the United
  States government, with a date which is ascertained to be not later than
  the day before election and received by  such  board  of  elections  not
  later  than  seven  days  following  the  day of election to be cast and
  counted except that the absentee ballot of a voter  who  requested  such
  ballot by letter, rather than application, shall not be counted unless a
  valid  application  form, signed by such voter, is received by the board
  of elections with such ballot.
    2. Absentee ballots received by the  board  of  elections  before  the
  close  of  the polls on election day from voters whose applications were
  received by such board at least seven days before election  day  may  be
  delivered to the inspectors of election in the manner prescribed by this
  chapter  or  retained  at  the board of elections and cast and canvassed
  pursuant to the provisions of section 9-209  of  this  chapter  as  such
  board shall, in its discretion, determine by resolution adopted at least
  thirty  days  before  election day. All ballots received by the board of
  elections from voters whose applications were  received  by  such  board
  later  than seven days before election day, all ballots received by such
  board between election day and the seventh day after election  day,  and
  all  federal  write-in  ballots  received from absentee voters, shall be
  retained at the board and shall be cast and canvassed in the same manner
  as other ballots retained by such board.