The attorney general's office said today the State Board of Elections must accept petitions submitted by Ralph Nader's presidential campaign.

In a letter to SBE Secretary Jean Jensen, Attorney General Jerry Kilgore advises the state's top elections official to reverse Friday's decision to reject Nader's qualifying papers.

Kilgore says there is no evidence that a state rule requiring campaigns to submit signed petitions grouped according to congressional district was ever approved by the board and can't be enforced.

Jensen cited the rule Friday in rejecting the Nader's petitions, effectively denying him a spot on Virginia's presidential election ballot in November.

Nader's campaign coordinator in Virginia, Jim Polk, lauded the move, saying they made sure they were "within the letter of the law."

Democrats have challenged Nader's efforts to qualify for the ballot in several states, fearful that votes for Nader will deprive John Kerry of votes.

Kilgore is a Republican, and head of the Bush-Cheney re-election team in Virginia.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)