Presidential preference primary.

(1) Each political party other than a minor political party shall, at the presidential preference primary, elect one person to be the party’s candidate for nomination for President of the United States or select delegates to the party’s national nominating convention, as provided by party rule. The presidential preference primary shall be held on the third Tuesday in March of each presidential election year. Any party rule directing the vote of delegates at a national nominating convention shall reasonably reflect the results of the presidential preference primary, if one is held.

(2) By November 30 of the year preceding the presidential preference primary, each political party shall submit to the Secretary of State a list of its presidential candidates to be placed on the presidential preference primary ballot or candidates entitled to have delegates appear on the presidential preference primary ballot. The Secretary of State shall prepare and publish a list of the names of the presidential candidates submitted not later than on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in December of the year preceding the presidential preference primary. The Department of State shall immediately notify each presidential candidate listed by the Secretary of State. Such notification shall be in writing, by registered mail, with return receipt requested.

(3) A candidate’s name shall be printed on the presidential preference primary ballot unless the candidate submits to the Department of State, prior to the second Tuesday after the first Monday in December of the year preceding the presidential preference primary, an affidavit stating that he or she is not now, and does not presently intend to become, a candidate for President at the upcoming nominating convention. If a candidate withdraws pursuant to this subsection, the Department of State shall notify the state executive committee that the candidate’s name will not be placed on the ballot. The Department of State shall, no later than the third Tuesday after the first Monday in December of the year preceding the presidential preference primary, certify to each supervisor of elections the name of each candidate for political party nomination to be printed on the ballot.

(4) The names of candidates for political party nominations for President of the United States shall be printed on official ballots for the presidential preference primary election and shall be marked, counted, canvassed, returned, and proclaimed in the same manner and under the same conditions, so far as they are applicable, as in other state elections. If party rule requires the delegates’ names to be printed on the official presidential preference primary ballot, the name of the presidential candidates for that political party may not be printed separately, but the ballot may reflect the presidential candidate to whom the delegate is pledged. If, however, a political party has only one presidential candidate, neither the name of the candidate nor the names of the candidate’s delegates shall be printed on the ballot.

(5) The state executive committee of each party, by rule adopted at least 60 days prior to the presidential preference primary election, shall determine the number, and establish procedures to be followed in the selection, of delegates and delegate alternates from among each candidate’s supporters. A copy of any rule adopted by the executive committee shall be filed with the Department of State within 7 days after its adoption and shall become a public record. The Department of State shall review the procedures and shall notify the state executive committee of each political party of any ballot limitations.

(6) All names of candidates or delegates shall be listed as directed by the Department of State.