WASHINGTON, September 26 (RIA Novosti) - A man who changed his name to Santa Claus three years ago has successfully registered as a presidential candidate in the U.S. state of West Virginia, local authorities said.

A total of 14 people, including an inmate at a Texas prison, have managed to register as write-in presidential candidates in the state, thanks to its simple registration process.

"All they have to do is file a form at least 42 days before the election," a local electoral official said.

Santa Claus, who sports a long white beard, changed his name from Thomas O'Connor in 2005.

The write-in candidates' names will not appear on West Virginia ballots at the November election, but voters can write the name of any officially registered candidate on the ballot paper.

In 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War, the revolutionary movement the Yippies attempted to put forward a pig for U.S. president. The pig, along with seven Yippie members, was later detained by police.