Any Republican candidate wishing to be on next February’s South Carolina Presidential Preference Primary ballot has to sign up and pay the fee by Wednesday September 30, 2015.

The fee is $40,000.  Half of that goes to the state election commission and half to the South Carolina Republican party.  The Democrats will hold their primary a week after the Republican one, by the way.

So far most of the candidates have paid and signed up.  Fiorina and Trump did so this week while campaigning in the state.  Four have not as of now according to Republican Party chairman Matt Moore.

The 4 are: Christie, Pataki, Gilmore, and Paul.

Rand Paul has been campaigning all over the state this week and Moore expects him to file and pay the fee.  If Christie has been around I haven’t seen him– and he’s hard to miss. But, Moore also expects him to sign up and pay the fee.

So, if you have Gilmore or Pataki in the next candidate to go pool, the $40,000 fee will likely tell the tale.

PS- Walker already paid before dropping out.  Thanks, Scott.