Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson failed to get on the Delaware Republican presidential primary ballot. 500 signatures were due on December 10. Thompson turned in 580 signatures, five minutes before the deadline. However, Delaware elections officials check signatures, and determined that only 430 signatures were valid. If he had turned them in earlier, and the state had checked the signatures before the deadline, he would have been free to get more signatures. However, it was too late for a supplemental petition.