Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie is changing the title of the constitutional amendment to “Changes to in-person & absentee voting & voter registration; provisional ballots." Sponsors of the measure, seeking to require voters to show a photo ID before casting a ballot, want the question titled "Photo Identification Required for Voting." Ritchie is being sued for changing the title on the marriage amendment question.

A coalition that includes Jewish, Muslim, and Christian leaders says it will encourage its 50,000 followers to oppose the voter ID amendment on Minnesota's ballot. Members of the group Prophetic Voices say requiring a government-issued photo ID would take votes away from poor people, the elderly, and students. Some say the push is tinged with racism. Supporters of the measure say it would guard against vote fraud.

Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed a Republican-backed law last spring that would require voters to show ID at the polls. But now, a group of legislators has introduced a bill that would put the matter in front of voters later this year as a constitutional amendment. Dayton would not be able to override it if approved.

The Minnesota Supreme Court had plenty of questions for lawyers arguing the merits and shortcomings of the voter ID ballot question. Groups including the League of Women Voters say the question that will appear before voters does not accurately characterize the changes the amendment would make to the Constitution. Lawyers for the Legislature say it's up to lawmakers - not the courts - to write ballot questions.

Secretary of State Mark Ritchie tells the Minnesota Supreme Court that election officials need to know by August 27th whether the voter ID question will be on the November ballot. The Legislature voted to put the Constitutional amendment before voters. But a lawsuit claims the question is misleading and should be changed or left off the ballot. Justices will hear arguments in the case on July 17th.

Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie's changes to the title that will appear over the marriage amendment on the fall ballot came under attack in papers filed with the state Supreme Court. Lawyers for Republican lawmakers and other backers of the amendment say Ritchie's changes will make voters less likely to approve the Constitutional amendment. They also argue that it's up to the Legislature - not the Secretary of State - to write the title. A hearing before the court is coming up later this month.

Congressman Keith Ellison is circulating a resolution opposing a voter ID requirement and is urging Democrats to adopt it at their precinct caucuses Tuesday. Republicans in the Legislature hope to put the issue on Minnesota's ballot in November. Ellison says Americans who don't have photo IDs should still be allowed to vote.

Instead of requiring voters to bring an ID to the polls, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie's suggestion would allow poll workers to look up an electronic version of the voter's driver's license or of a photo taken during registration. Ritchie says the "electronic poll book" would protect against fraud and would be cheaper than the proposal backed by many Republicans.