A federal appeals court upheld a decision to keep four Republican presidential candidates off Virginia’s March 6 primary ballot.
The Fourth District Appeals Court ruled Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former House Speak Newt Gingrich, former Sen. Rick Santorum and former Gov. Jon Huntsman waited too long to complain about Virginia’s ballot restrictions and lost the chance to sue.
The four candidtes sought an emergency injunction to force election officials to include their names on the ballot after each failed to collect enough signatures to qualify for the primary.
A federal judge agreed with the candidates last week that a Virginia rule barring non-state residents from collecting signatures was probably unconstitutional. But the judge said the candidates lost their chance to make the ballot because they didn’t sue until after the December filing deadline.
Perry, joined by the other three candidaates, appealed that decision. His campaign turned in 6,000 signatures from Virginia voters on Dec. 22, well short of the 10,000 required.
The appeals court acted swiftly, noting that federal law mandates absentee ballots must go out to military personnel and disabled voters by Saturday.
Only former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas collected enough signatures to make it onto Virginia’s primary ballot.
