Perry challenges Virginia ballot access law

The Hill:

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is filing a federal court challenge to Virginia's ballot access rules on Tuesday in response to his failure to qualify for the state's Republican presidential primary vote. 

The legal action is in response to Perry not collecting the minimum 10,000 signatures to get on the ballot of the March 6th Republican primary.

 "Virginia ballot access rules are among the most onerous and are particularly problematic in a multi-candidate election," Perry campaign communications director Ray Sullivan said in a statement. "We believe that the Virginia provisions unconstitutionally restrict the rights of candidates and voters by severely restricting access to the ballot, and we hope to have those provisions overturned or modified to provide greater ballot access to Virginia voters and the candidates seeking to earn their support."  

The suit was filed by Perry's campaign in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia according to the campaign. It challenges the "constitutional validity of the Virginia statute which regulates access to the ballot by primary candidates."   

All but two members of the GOP presidential field — Mitt Romney and Ron Paul — were unable to fulfill Virginia's requirements and get on the ballot. In response, a number of candidates criticized the state's rules as too stringent. 

Candidates were required to submit 10,000 signatures by Thursday at 5 p.m. to qualify for Virginia’s “Super Tuesday” primary on March 6. 

Perry claims that the state's laws in this situation violate his freedom of speech.  

"Virginia's requirement for petition circulators to be either eligible or registered qualified voters in the state violates Plaintiff's freedoms of speech and association by the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution," the challenge reads.
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I think he has a pretty good claim.  It is somewhat ironic that Gov. Perry would have to rely on a federal court to get on the ballot, but the Virginia statue as currently interpreted  is ridiculously restrictive and gives an advantage to candidates who have been in the race for years.  It does not make much sense that the candidate leading in the polls in the state (Gingrich) cannot even get on the ballot.

The other excluded candidates should consider joining with him in challenging the Virginia action.