(1) The election commissioners shall, within ten (10) days after an election for judges of the Supreme Court or Court of Appeals, transmit to the Secretary of State, to be filed in his or her office, a statement of the whole number of votes given in their county, and the whole number of votes given in each precinct in their county, for each candidate for the Office of Judge of the Supreme Court or Court of Appeals, and the Secretary of State shall immediately notify each member of the State Board of Election Commissioners in writing to assemble at his or her office on a day to be fixed by him or her, to be within ten (10) days after the receipt by him or her of such statement, and when assembled pursuant to such notice the State Board of Election Commissioners shall sum up the whole number of votes given for each candidate for judge of the Supreme Court or Court of Appeals according to the total number of votes in each county for each candidate as certified to the Secretary of State, ascertain the person or persons to be elected; and thereupon all persons chosen to such office at the election shall be commissioned by the Governor; but if it appears that two (2) or more candidates for judge of the Supreme Court or Court of Appeals standing highest on the list, and not elected, have an equal number of votes, the election shall be decided between the candidates having an equal number of votes by each candidate individually drawing one (1) of the two (2) sealed containers from an opaque bag, under the direction of the Governor and Secretary of State. The containers shall consist of a straw of conspicuous length, and the candidate drawing the container with the longer of the two (2) straws shall be declared the winner.

(2) The statements required by this section shall contain a certification, signed and dated by a majority of the election commissioners, which shall read as follows:

“We, the undersigned election commissioners, do hereby certify that this statement of the whole number of votes contain the official vote for the election reflected therein.”

(3) The statements required by this section shall be transmitted to the Secretary of State on such forms and by such methods as may be required by rules and regulations promulgated by the Secretary of State.