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Dayton Strikes Down Photo IDs For Minnesota Voters

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Gov. Mark Dayton has vetoed a bill that would have required voters to produce photo identification before casting a ballot.

The Democratic governor rejected the legislation on Thursday, saying it would have cost local governments $23 million and lacked broad bipartisan support.

The proposal got only two Democratic votes on its way through the Republican-controlled Legislature.

The bill from Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer would make all voters show photo IDs before getting a ballot. Provisional ballots cast by those who couldn't show IDs would be counted only if the voter personally went to a local election office to prove his or her identity.

Kiffmeyer is also pursuing the bill as a constitutional amendment that would bypass Dayton and go directly to 2012 voters if approved by the Legislature.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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