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The state of Texas is challenging a court ruling that could make it easier for third parties and independent candidates to get onto the ballot. Last month's decision from a federal judge in Austin found the state's paper petition signature requirement to be unconstitutional. The Texas attorney general's office filed a motion last Wednesday to stay the ruling while the state appeals to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Several political parties filed suit in 2019, claiming the state's current rules violate the U.S. Constitution's Equal Protection Clause.