Having begun their first determining step in Stage III in 2008 (Tuesday 3 June 2008), South Dakota receives a 10% Bonus in district and at-large delegate votes (+1 district and +0 at-large).

Tuesday 3 June 2008: 15 of 23 delegates to the Democratic National Convention are allocated to presidential contenders based on the primary results statewide as South Dakota has only a single at-large congressional seat. A mandatory 15 percent threshold is required in order for a presidential contender to be allocated National Convention delegates at either the congressional district or statewide level.

• 10 district delegates are to be allocated proportionally to presidential contenders based on the primary results in the State's single at-large congressional district.
• In addition, 5 delegates are to be allocated to presidential contenders based on the primary vote statewide.
  • 3 at-large National Convention delegates
  • 2 Pledged PLEOs

A person shall register their Democratic Party affiliation with the secretary of state on or prior to the last day to register to vote in the June 2008 State Primary Election, or affirm their affiliation with the Democratic Party before public notary to be eligible to participate in the delegate selection process.

Here is how we compute the delegate count:

1. A candidate must receive 15% or more of the total popular vote to qualify for delegates. Discard votes cast for those candidates who do not qualify.
2. Allocate Congressional District delegates from the qualified vote in each district. Allocate Pledged PLEO and At-Large delegates using the state-wide qualified vote.
3. In each jurisdiction (CD and statewide):
1. Total qualified vote = total votes cast for the qualifying candidates in the jurisdiction.
2. Allocation = (delegates for the jurisdiction) × (candidate's popular vote) ÷ (total qualified vote).
3. Assign each candidate the WHOLE NUMBER of delegates.
4. If delegates remain, allocate each of the remaining delegates to those candidates with the LARGEST REMAINDERS.

Saturday 28 June 2008: State Party Central Committee

The remaining 8 National Convention delegates consist of

• 7 Unpledged PLEO delegates:
• 4 Democratic National Committee members.
• 2 Members of Congress (1 Senator and 1 Representative).
• 0 Governors.
• 1 Distinguished Party Leader (former Senate Majority Leader Thomas Andrew "Tom" Daschle).
• 1 Unpledged "add-on" (selected during the State Party Central Committee meeting).

These 8 delegates and will go to the Democratic National Convention officially "Unpledged".