HARRISBURG — Barring a challenge like the one that knocked him off the Pennsylvania ballot in 2004, perennial presidential candidate Ralph Nader will get to compete in the state as an independent candidate in this year's White House race.

Nader, who's still fighting a court order to pay $81,000 in legal costs of the voters who challenged his nomination papers the last time around, apparently succeeded in collecting the 24,666 voters' signatures that he needed by Friday to qualify for the Nov. 4 ballot.

The deadline to file challenges to independent and third-party candidates is Friday.

On Monday, Nader and his 2004 running mate, Peter Miguel Camejo, petitioned Commonwealth Court to overturn the $81,000 judgment on grounds that the ballot challenge was orchestrated by Democratic lawmakers and aides in the state House of Representatives as part of a conspiracy to illegally spend public money for political purposes.