(CNN) - Faux-news host and comedian Stephen Colbert announced Thursday night he was launching his second run for president in South Carolina.
"I'm proud to announce I plan to form an exploratory committee to lay the groundwork for my candidacy in the United States of South Carolina," Colbert said at a taping of his show Thursday evening.
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Colbert said voters in South Carolina saw him as an alternative to current GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney.
"Clearly my fellow South Caroliniacs see me as the only Mitternative," Colbert said.
However, according to South Carolina election law, Colbert may not get his way. The state's website said write-in votes are prohibited in political party primaries or for president and vice president.
South Carolina Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire told CNN with the Republican presidential primary just nine days away, there "won't even be a way for someone to do that because it's not allowed under the law."
The comedian missed the November 1 filing deadline to get his name on the GOP primary ballot. Whitmire added that, in accordance with the law, there's no write-in space on the electronic and paper primary ballots.
Colbert, who filed to run for the White House as a Democrat in 2007, lost a fight with South Carolina's Democratic Party when it removed him from the state's 2008 primary ballot, a step that ended his presidential bid.
But the comedian has been back in full force this election cycle with his own Super PAC, called "Making a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow."
In October, the Federal Election Commission allowed Colbert to form the group, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on a candidate as long as it doesn't coordinate with a candidate's campaign.
In the taping of his show Thursday, Colbert confronted that hurdle, officially signing over the super PAC to fellow Comedy Central host Jon Stewart.
As a satire on super PAC rules, the group created a commercial endorsing "Rick P(a)rry" just days before the Texas governor launched his White House bid this summer.
"So to prove we're truly uncoordinated, we're asking voters to write in Parry with an A – as in America, IowA, or PresidAnt," Colbert said. "You can feel confident he's not asking us to do that."
In the fall, Colbert also made news when he offered $500,000 of super PAC funds to cover the cost of South Carolina's primary on January 21, following a heated battle within the state over who would pay for the contest-the state party or the taxpayers.
In return, Colbert, a South Carolina native, asked for the rights to change the name of the primary to the "The Colbert Super PAC South Carolina Republican Primary."
The state did not take him up on the offer.
– CNN's Shawna Shepherd, Ashley Killough and Julian Cummings contributed to this report.
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From CNN Politics
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Colbert is the most viable candidate in the race.
He'd probably be a better presidant than any of the GOP wannabees.
Cobert makes moer sense than any of the GOP's running ... maybe better than Obama too. If he were to run, I'd vote for him. Smart, knowledgeable, works hard, good man.
COLBERT 2012!
I love Stephen Colbert so much.
People are people and corporations are contractual agreements between certain parties for the purpose of earning money through some product, scheme or commodity. We need the dumbing down of America to stop. Vote Parry!
No Comment!!
Obama 2012!!
Finally a candidate worth voting for!!
As much as enjoy Colbert's show, there is already too much comedy in the current field of GOP candidates.
His candidacy will expose the absurdity of the Citizens United ruling and the unmitigated power of Super-PACS. Gor for Stephen!! You've got my vote!!
Too fricken funny gotta love this guy
Dr. Colbert is a more palatable choice than many other potential candidates. He'll never get the bear vote, however.
I'd vote for him! He's more intelligent than all the rest of the GOP candidates!
Last night he talks about this in his show I thought it was joke
If can enter the race split Mitt Romney votes welcome
as an independent conservative Stephen Colbert keeps me sane
spoiler alert anyone?
Either Colbert is amazingly brilliant...or incredibly insane.
Colbert 2012!
Yeah!
He has my vote.
Wonderful news.
The sad part is that he doesn't seem that different then the Repubicans running for the nomination.
It is probably a good thing for Mitt Romney that Stephen Colbert can't run in South Carolina. He would do uncomfortably well.
Colbert will give the other candidates a taste of their own medicine with a Super-PAC advertising campaign like none other!!
Colbert is a better choice than any of the other Republican candidates!
Jokes are usually only funny the first time.