Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-01-25
PRIMARY ELECTION.
First Step Will Have to be made at an
Early Date

lngs OF the state primary election law of
this state will have to be made at an
early date. Under the provisions of
sections 80 and 81 it is made the duty of
the state central committee "to at least
| sixty days prior to holding state con
vention," to fix the place and hour for
holding the same, and to give it publi-
| cation. The basis of representation in
the convention is taken out ofthe hands
of the committee, and is fixed at one
delegate for each one hundred votes or
major fraction thereof cast for governor
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
VIII 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 selected on
that date for the county convention to
select delegates 10 the state conventions
to be held on the fourth Tuesday in
March. At the primaries for the selec.
ton of county delegates the polls are to
be opened from 3 o'clock p. M. to $50
o'clock p. N. of that date. No petitions
need be filed by candidates for delegate
but any person desiring to become a
candidate for delegate to a county con
vention, must at least twenty DAYS be-
fore the date Of the primaries, and any
group of delegates under a specific
heading may be filed, and printed to-
gether on the ballot under the heading
selected.
The only break in this procedure is
in section 81, which allows the county
central committee of any county, when
two thirds Of the same think there is not
enough of a contest for the state deega-
ton in their individual county to incur
the expense of a primary election, to
name the state delegation without in
any way submitting such delegation TO
vote Of the people. This opens the
way for political manipulation in the Sc.
lection of the county delegations to the
state convention, but the chances are
against many delegations being named
without "a vote on the question.
The next move under the law will be
for the general state nominating primar-
les, for which another call will have to
be made by the state committee at least
sixty days before the second Tuesday in
July. The county conventions under
this provision must be held on the first
Tuesday III July and the precinct pri. |
maries on the second Tuesday in June
The delegates to the county convention
are provided for the same as in 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 plac
ed upon the ballot, or groups of names
for the full delegation can be filed under
one head. The auditor is also instruct
ed to leave blank lines on the ballots
under the names Of all delegates filed,
on which blank lines the individual
voter may express his choice for county
delegate, regardless Of any fling. The
polls in the primaries for the selection
of state and county tickets must be op-
ened from o'clock a. M. until o'clock
p. M, without any adjournment and the
returns must be made to the county can
vassing board the same as in general
ell ection.
Candidates for the United States SEN
ate of state office must file their peti
tions with the secretary of state at least
six weeks prior to the date of the pri.
mary 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 ink or an indellible pen
Gil, 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 considered
which are dated more than three
months prior to the date of the election.
This gives state officer practically six
months in which to circulate bis petit
ton, as no name can be counted if it is
dated more than three months previous
to the date of the primaries.
For circuit judges the petitions must
bear not less than per cent nor more
than per cent of the vote cast of the
party for governor at the preceding eIee
ton, within the district in which the
party is a candidate, with the same pro-
visions of signatures and dates of filing
as in state offices.
The petitions of county and legislative
Offices, or member of the state central
committee, must be filed with the coun-
ty 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 Limitation of beginning circulation
of such petition is fixed at not more
than three months prior to the primary
election.
The candidates for delegates to the
state convention need not file petitions.
but must at least twenty days prior to
the primary file his written request
with the county auditor asking that his
name be placed upon the ballot. The
same group provision holds good as to
delegates to the state convention as it