The ballots shall be counted and returns made and canvassed as in other elections and the results certified by the secretary of the electoral board to the judge of the circuit court. If the report of the secretary of the electoral board shows that a majority of the qualified voters of the town voting on the question submitted are in favor of the annulment, the judge shall enter such fact of record and shall notify the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and the annulment shall be effective on January 1 of the year following the year in which the order entering such fact of record is issued or, in the discretion of the court, on the second January 1 following the year in which issued. However, the court, upon joint petition of the governing bodies of the town and county or counties in which the town is located, may order the annulment effective on any other date or dates.