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Voter ID Proposal Gains Steam In Colorado House

DENVER (AP) -- A requirement that voters show photo IDs at the polls before casting ballots has cleared a Colorado House committee for the first time after years of debate.

House Bill 1003 would require potential voters to show photo identification such as a driver's license or passport before casting a ballot. The requirement wouldn't apply to mail-in ballots.

The bill cleared a House committee 5-4 Wednesday, with all Republicans in favor and all Democrats opposed. Voter photo ID requirements have been debated for years, but this year's bill is the first to win committee approval.

Republican Secretary of State Scott Gessler was among those who testified in favor of the ID requirement. Democrats call the requirement unnecessary, and the requirement's fate appears dim in the Democratic-dominated Senate.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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