Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said today he is determined unenrolled U.S. Senate candidate Herbert Hoffman does, in fact, have enough signatures to have his name appear on the November ballot.

The Maine Democratic Party challenged Hoffman’s signatures on a number of grounds. Dunlap said after reviewing all of the material over the weekend, he agrees with his deputy that Hoffman has more than 4,000 valid signatures.

“I took all of the stuff home and went over all of it in pretty excruciating detail,” he said.

The major question was whether Hoffman violated the circulator’s oath by not being right at the table at all times when people signed his petition. Dunlap said the law is unclear as to whether it’s OK for him to be a few feet away talking to someone else while a different person signs the petition.

“Hoffman believed he was complying by being in the vicinity,” he said. “It’s not like he was trying to openly bilk people.”

If the decision holds — it can be challenged in court — Hoffman’s name will be on the ballot along with incumbent U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, and Democrat U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, a Democrat.