Any person who shall change or in any wise alter the returns of any primary election, or remove the copy of the returns posted at any polling place before the result of the election is announced by the committee or governing authority, shall be punished in the same form and manner as provided by the general law for the punishment of any person who changes or in any wise alters the returns of the regular state elections.
Ala. Code § 17-13-25 (1975)