KEVIN McGILL, Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Texas officials are asking federal appeals judges in New Orleans to let the state's latest voter ID law take effect.

Tuesday's hearing at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals centers on a law re-worked in May by the Texas Legislature after years of court battles. The new version allows residents who don't have an acceptable photo ID to vote by signing an affidavit stating they cannot reasonably obtain one.

The same federal judge who blocked the 2011 version of the law blocked the re-worked version in August.

She said the law still requires IDs more likely to be possessed by white voters than Latinos or African-Americans. She also said criminal penalties for lying on the affidavit could scare away voters fearful of making an innocent mistake on the form.

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