Where absentee voting is conducted on voting machines, the absentee voting clerk shall seal such machines at the close of each day's voting in the presence of poll watchers, if any, and such seal shall be broken by the clerk in the presence of poll watchers, if any, the following morning when absentee voting resumes. The authority conducting the election may provide for a written record to be made by the absentee voting clerk of the numbers registered on the public counter each time the machine is sealed or unsealed.