Paul, 72, the iconoclastic Texas Republican, gets less attention these days than he did when he was among a raft of GOP contenders. But organizers say at least 2,000 people have signed up to see him speak at a 3 p.m. event in Chapel Hill and a 6:30 p.m. speech in Durham.

"The state GOP has done their best to bury him," said Roxane Premont, an organizer of the events. "This is not really about a presidential campaign -- he is the leader of a movement that's about restoring our Constitution and our civil liberties."

Paul appears at 3 p.m. at Carmichael Auditorium on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus in an event that was moved from Carroll Hall because of overflow registration.

More than 1,200 people had signed up for the event by Tuesday -- when organizers stopped counting, Premont said. But the auditorium seats about 8,000.

The 6:30 p.m. appearance is at Reynolds Theater on the campus of Duke University. Some 600 free tickets have already been passed out and no more are available.

Paul's name remains on the Republican presidential primary ballot in North Carolina, a reminder that Tar Heel voters will have several choices beyond those billed as front-runners.

Under state law, the heads of the state Democratic and Republican parties determine which presidential candidates are on North Carolina's ballot. Party officials have said they included all "generally recognized" candidates on the ballot.

Voters will be allowed to choose among Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama, Mike Gravel or "no preference" on the Democratic side, and among John McCain, Paul, Alan Keyes or Mike Huckabee on the GOP side.

thomas.goldsmith@newsobserver.com or (919) 829-8929