The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-01-30
new STATE PRIMARY LAW
Some of the More Important Fea-
lures of the Law

The first step in the practical work
ings of the state primary law of this
state will have to be made at an early
date. Under the provisions of sec.
tions 90 and 67, it is made the duty of
the state central committee to "at
least sixty days prior to holding a
state convention" to fix the place and
hour for holding the same, and to
give 1t publication. The basis of
representation in the convention is
taken out of the hands of the CON-
mittee, and is fixed at one delegate
| for each one hundred votes or ma.
! jor fraction thereof cast for govern
| or at the preceding election. The
| first state convention under the law
| is the one to select delegates to the
national convention. which is fixed
| for the first Tuesday in April, 1908,
(which this year will be the seventh
of that month, and the meeting of
the state committee to carry out the
provisions of the law must be held
| within the next three weeks. The
| county primaries to select delegates
| to this state convention must be held
| the second Tuesday in March, the
| 10th, this year. delegates to be Sc
| lected on that date for the county
conventions to select delegates to the
state convention, the county cOnven-
tiOns to be held on the fourth Tues
day in March. At the primaries for
the selection of county delegates the
polls are to be opened from o'clock
p m., to $3.50 o'clock p. M, of that
date. No petitions need be filed by
candidates for delegate, but any per.
son desiring to become a candidate
for delegate to county convention,
| must at least twenty days before the
date of the primaries deliver to the
county auditor a slip of paper with his
name, voting precenct post Office ad-
dress, political affiliation, and request
to have his name printed upon such
ballot as said candidate, and it will be
the duty of the auditor to have the
same printed upon the ballots used in
his precinct, and any group of dele
gates under a specific heading may
be filed, and printed. together OH the
ballot under the heading selected.
The only break in this procedure
is I'm section 67, which allowes the
county central committee of any
county. when two-thirds of the same
think there is not enough to a con-
test for the state delegation i'm their
individual county to incur the ex-
pense of a primary election. to name
the state delegation without i'm any
way submitting such delegation to
the vote of the people. This opens
the way for political manipulation
in the selection of the county dele
cations to the state convention, but
the chances are against many delega-
tions being named without vote.
State Prina ries
The next move under the law will
be for the general state nominating
primaries, for which another call will
have to be made by the state COM
mittee at least sixty days before the
second Tuesday in July. The county
conventions under this provision must
be held on the first Tuesday in July
and the precinct primaries on the
second Tuesday in June. The dele
gates to the county convention are
provided for the same as i'm the March
primaries, they being allowed to file
with the county auditor at least
twenty days before the primaries,
either their individual applications to
be placed upon the ballot, or groups
of names for the full delegation can
be filed under one head. The auditor
is also instructed to leave blank lines
on the ballots under the names of all
delegates filed, Oh which blank lines
the individual voter may express his
choice for county delegate, regardless
OF any filing. The polls i'm the primar-
les for the selection of state and
| county tickets, must be opened from
O'Clock a. m, until o'clock D. m,
| without any adjournment, and the re.
turns must be made to the county can
vassing board the same as in gen
eral election.
Filings for State Ticket
Candidates for the United States
senate or state Offices must file their
petitions with the secretary of state
at least six weeks prior to the date
of the primary election, and such
petitions must bear the names OF not
less than one per cent of the vote
of the party cast for governor at the
last preceding election. Such names
must be written upon the petition
with in or an indelible pencil and
must show the date OF signing. the
name Of the party attaching his sig
nature; with his voting precinct and
county. No names are to be con
sidered which are dated more than
three months prior to the date of
the election. This gives a state of
ficer practically six weeks in which
to circulate his petition, as no name
can be counted if it is dated more
than three months previous TO the
date of the primaries.
Circuit Judges
For circuit Judges the petitions
must bear not less than one per cent
nor more than five per cent of the
vote OF the party for governor at
the preceding election within the
district in which the party is a can
didate, with the same provisions of
signatures, and dates of filing as in
state Offices.
The petitions of county and legis-
lative offices, or member of the state
central committee, must be filed with
the county auditor not less than
twenty days prior to the primary,
and shall bear not less than three
per cent nor more than five per cent
Of the party vote, and the time limi-
tation OF beginning circulation of such
petitions is fixed at not more than
T.