HARRISBURG — A new federal court order will make it much easier for minor political party candidates to get onto the fall election ballot in Pennsylvania, potentially injecting new uncertainty into the races for president and U.S. Senate.

The ruling released late Thursday by U.S. District Judge Lawrence Stengel ordered substantially lower signature requirements for minor-party candidates in a 4-year-old lawsuit that had successfully challenged the financial penalties they could face in court challenges to their nomination papers.

The decision was cheered by ballot-access advocates who regard Pennsylvania as having the nation’s toughest barriers to candidates who are not Republicans or Democrats.