SECTION 51. Tampering with voting machines

Any person who shall tamper with or injure or attempt to tamper with or to injure any voting machine to be used or being used in an election, or who shall prevent or attempt to prevent the correct operation of such machine, or any unauthorized person who shall make or have in his possession a key to a voting machine to be used or being used in an election, shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than two and one half years or in the state prison for not less than two and one half nor more than five years, or both.