Section 12-5-1 - Organization of new party--Filing and contents of declaration--Number ofsignatures required.
12-5-1. Organization of new party--Filing and contents of declaration--Number of signatures required. A new political party may be organized and participate in the primary election by filing with the secretary of state not later than the last Tuesday of March at five p.m. prior to the date of the primary election, a written declaration signed by at least two and one-half percent of the voters of the state as shown by the total vote cast for Governor at the last preceding gubernatorial election, which declaration shall contain:
(1) The name of the proposed party; and
(2) A brief statement of the principles thereof;
whereupon the party shall, under the party name chosen, have all the rights of a political party whose ticket was on the ballot at the preceding general election.
A political party loses the right to participate in the primary election for failure to meet the definition of political party as defined in § 12-1-3.
Source: SDC 1939, § 16.0201; SL 1974, ch 118, § 28; SL 1976, ch 105, § 12; SL 1984, ch 107, § 1; SL 1986, ch 115, § 2; SL 1997, ch 75, § 2; SL 2007, ch 74, § 1; SL 2007, ch 81, § 5.