Candidates for township office in charter townships shall be nominated at the general primary election held in the township before each general election at which township officers are to be elected. The primary election shall be conducted, as near as may be, pursuant to the Michigan election law, 1954 PA 116, MCL 168.1 to 168.992. Duties of the county clerk in the conduct of primary elections shall be performed by the township clerk with respect to the nomination of township officers, and the duties of the county board of election commissioners shall be performed for each township by a board of township election commissioners to be composed of the township clerk and the 2 trustees appointed by the township board.