Stephen Colbert says he will pay his filing fee to run in the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary on November 1. That fee is $2,500. Since that is below $5,000, and he hasn’t spent any other money on his campaign, the FEC still doesn’t consider him to be a presidential candidate. The FEC only requires people to file campaign finance reports, and to follow the restrictions, if they have raised or spent $5,000.

Colbert will not file in the Republican presidential primary, because that fee is $35,000 (it was $25,000 for candidates who filed early).

The deadline for all presidential primary candidates in South Carolina is at noon on November 1. The Democratic Party is not obliged to accept the fee and the state chair reportedly will urge that Colbert’s fee be rejected. UPDATE: Colbert did file, as he had said he would.