The board of directors of the irrigation districts to be merged shall provide ballots to be used at such election. The return of the election, together with the ballots cast thereat, shall be certified by the boards of election of such districts to the persons who will serve as the board of directors of the merged district if the merger is approved, within three days after the election or within three days after the deadline to submit ballots by mail, as the case may be, which board shall, on or before the third day after the election, canvass such returns and declare the result of such election, which result shall be at once recorded by the secretary of the board of directors in the records of the district boards and certified to the county clerk. The election and the return thereof shall otherwise be conducted in accordance with sections 46-115 to 46-118.