By the eighty-fourth day next preceding the day fixed for the primary election, the Secretary of State shall arrange the names of all candidates, who have filed announcements with him or her, as provided in this article, and who are entitled to have their names printed on any political party ballot, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, and shall forthwith certify the same under his or her name and the lesser seal of the state, and file the same in his or her office.

The certificate of candidates shall show: (1) The name and residence of each candidate; (2) the office for which he or she is a candidate; (3) the name of the political party of which he or she is a candidate; (4) upon what ballot his or her name is to be printed; and (5) in the case of a candidate for delegate to the national convention of any political party, the name of the person the candidate prefers as the presidential nominee of his or her party, or if he or she has no preference, the word "uncommitted".

The Secretary of State shall post a duplicate of the certificate in a conspicuous place in his or her office and keep same posted until after the primary election.

Immediately upon completion of such certification, the Secretary of State shall ascertain therefrom the candidates whose names are to appear on the primary election ballots in the several counties of the state and shall certify to the clerk of the county commission in each county the certificate information relating to each of the candidates whose names are to appear on the ballot in that county. He or she shall transmit the certificate to the several clerks by registered or certified mail, but, in emergency cases, he may resort to other reliable and speedy means of transmission which may be available so that such certificates shall reach the several clerks by the seventieth day next preceding such primary election day.

The provisions of this section shall apply to the primary election held in the year one thousand nine hundred eighty-six and every primary election held thereafter.