President Obama, four Republicans file for South Dakota primary ballots

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PIERRE — President Barack Obama has filed his letter of intent to be on South Dakota’s 2012 election ballots. So far he’s the only Democrat running for president in the June 5 primary.

Four Republicans put their hats into South Dakota’s ring. They are former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, of Georgia, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, of Pennsylvania, and current U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, of Texas.

South Dakota has one of the simpler requirements for presidential candidates to offer their names for placement on the primary ballots. They simply send or deliver letters to the Secretary of State’s Office. The deadline this year for receipt is no later than 5 p.m. March 27.

Their respective national parties must then certify they are candidates.

Each candidate has a slate of South Dakotans who are their delegates and whose names will appear on the ballots. The deadline for political parties to certify those slates is also 5 p.m. March 27.

Democrats closed their delegate self-nominating process Wednesday.

Their choices are Obama or unpledged.

The first round of delegate selection for Democrats occurs at the county level on Saturday, when delegates will be chosen for the statewide meeting. The slates of national convention delegates then will be selected at the statewide meeting March 24 in Pierre.

Republicans hold their statewide meeting for choosing slates Saturday in Fort Pierre.

Tags: election 2012, news, updates, state, president