by TChris

Apparently deciding not to interfere (again) with a state's election process, the Supreme Court declined to order Pennsylvania to place Ralph Nader's name on the November ballot.

Nader's request for a review went to Justice David H. Souter, who referred the matter to the full court. The justices on Saturday denied the appeal. Nader wanted the justices to put him on the ballot while they considered whether to hear an appeal of the Pennsylvania ruling.

Nader contended that Pennsylvania violated the First Amendment rights of people whose signatures on his nomination papers weren't counted because they weren't registered voters. Lack of voter registration, however, may not have been the only problem with the signatures.

On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld a lower court that had found the petition sheets were "rife with forgeries." The lower court determined that fewer than 19,000 of the more than 51,000 signatures submitted were valid; Nader needed at least 25,697 to be listed on the ballot.

Nader may still play a spoiler's role as his name will be on the ballot in at least 34 states and in the District of Columbia.