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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesotans have rejected a constitutional amendment that would have required a photo ID before they could vote in future elections.

It’s a surprising victory for opponents of photo ID, a requirement already in place in several other states. Republicans said photo ID was necessary to stop fraud.

But critics of the amendment said voter fraud has rarely been a problem here. Democrats had criticized the measure as an attempt to make voting harder for certain groups that lean Democratic, including the elderly, the poor, college students and minorities.

Municipal officials also said it would have been costly to implement.

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