Independent candidate Evan McMullin has collected enough signatures to qualify for the ballot in the battleground state of Virginia, which could further push the Old Dominion out of Republican nominee Donald Trump's grasp.

In a video posted Friday afternoon on Twitter, McMullin thanked volunteers from all over the country for helping him reach the 5,000-signature threshold.

"When we asked our volunteers last week to gather 5,000 signatures to help us get on the ballot in Virginia, we didn't know if it could be done, but I'm proud to report that this afternoon our volunteers have helped us reach 9,600 signatures, well over the requirement in Virginia," McMullin said.

Our volunteers are incredible. 9,600 signatures in Virginia! Thank you all so much! #vapolitics pic.twitter.com/IvMTQWjDIh — Evan McMullin (@Evan_McMullin) August 26, 2016



McMullin said he will submit his petition later in the day.

The former CIA officer entered the race this month as a conservative alternative to Trump, and could serve as a spoiler in critical battleground states, including Virginia. Trump already trails Clinton by a wide margin in Virginia — 50.2-37.4 percent, according to RealClearPolitics.

His odds improve slightly when Green Party nominee Jill Stein and the Libertarian Party's Gary Johnson are included. Clinton's running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine, hails from Virginia, which hurts Trump's chances there.

The conservative McMullin has made the ballots in Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Utah, Minnesota, Arkansas and Idaho, according to reports. He has failed to submit the required number of signatures in a handful of other states, including California, Montana, Alabama and Tennessee.