FACTBOX: South Dakota and its presidential primary

Wed May 21, 2008 12:49am EDT
 
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(Reuters) - On June 3, South Dakota will hold one of the final presidential primary contests to determine whether Democrat Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama will face Republican John McCain in the November election.

Here are some facts about South Dakota:

* Voting ends at 7 p.m. MDT/9 p.m. EDT (0100 GMT), with results expected shortly after. The primary is closed -- registered Republicans and independents may not cast ballots in the Democratic contest. Obama, who won earlier contests in neighboring states, is expected to do well here.

* Republican presidential candidates have carried South Dakota in every election since 1964, though Democrats are competitive in congressional elections.

* Farming and ranching loom large in this thinly settled state, but banking and small business have emerged as important economic sectors in recent decades, thanks to South Dakota's lack of corporate or personal income taxes. While rural areas empty out, suburban Lincoln County has recorded one of the nation's highest growth rates this decade.

* American Indians, including the Lakota Sioux descendants of Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, make up 8 percent of South Dakota's population, a higher percentage than any other U.S. state except New Mexico and Alaska.

SOURCES: South Dakota Secretary of State; Almanac of American Politics; Sioux Falls Argus Leader

(Compiled by Andy Sullivan)

(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online at blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)

 

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