A court ruling giving more time to election officials to respond to a lawsuit filed by a new North Carolina political party essentially ensures the party will have a few more candidates on November ballots.

U.S. District Judge Louise Flanagan wrote Tuesday the state elections board now has until Oct. 1 to answer the lawsuit filed by the Constitution Party of North Carolina and three of its candidates for legislative and local offices.

The party challenged a new law preventing people who lost in May primaries from running for the same office with a new party this year. Flanagan issued a preliminary injunction last week blocking the law from applying to the candidates because it was retroactive. State officials haven’t appealed that injunction.

Ballots will likely be finalized in September.