JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – A Missouri judge has made clear that local election workers cannot enforce a core requirement in a new voter photo identification law.

Senior Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan on Tuesday clarified his ruling against a requirement that voters lacking valid photo ID sign a sworn statement and present some other form of identification to cast a regular ballot.

Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft had said Callahan directed the state not to require a sworn statement from voters without proper ID. But Ashcroft said local election workers were responsible for that.

Ashcroft argued Callahan’s initial ruling created confusion before the Nov. 6 election, which features a marquee race between Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill and Republican challenger Josh Hawley.

Callahan later clarified that his ruling applies to local workers, too.

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Missouri Supreme Court has allowed an injunction to remain in place against part of the state’s voter photo identification law.

A Cole County judge issued an injunction earlier this month against a provision requiring people lacking photo identification to sign a sworn statement and show some other form of identification in order to cast regular ballots.

Attorney General Josh Hawley’s office had asked the Supreme Court to suspend enforcement of the injunction until after the Nov. 6 election while the case is being appealed. State attorneys argued that the ruling could create confusion for voters and local election authorities.

The Supreme Court issued a one-sentence decision Friday declining to suspend the injunction. It did not explain its reasoning.