Minnesotans will decide in November whether the state Constitution should require a photo ID to vote.

The Senate gave the measure final approval Wednesday on a 35-29 vote; the bill was cleared by the Minnesota House Tuesday.

Both votes fell close to party lines, with only one Senate Republican joining all Democrats in opposition.

The bills moved to the House and Senate floors after passing through conference committee, which voted unanimously to send the finalized constitutional amendment bill back to both floors for final votes. The bill, which passed through both the House and Senate with slightly different language, was taken to a conference committee to adopt final language for the bill.

The ballot question will ask if the Constitution should be amended "to require all voters to present valid photo identification to vote and to require the state to provide free identification to eligible voters?"

The amendment preserves the ability of all Minnesotans, including military members, college students, and the elderly. It also keeps in place same day voter registration and absentee voting. The amendment does not include any mandates for spending or technology requirements.

Enacting legislation would be decided by the Legislature only if the amendment is approved during the November elections.

The measure will bypass the governor and be placed on the November general election ballot.

A majority vote of the people would amend the Minnesota Constitution, and the Legislature could implement the new photo ID requirement in 2013. This amendment would also require state identification be made available at no charge to those who do not already have an ID.

On Wednesday, Gov. Mark Dayton called the amendment a partisan effort “based on a false premise that voter fraud is a significant problem in Minnesota. Our election system is the best in the nation. We have the highest voter turnout year after year and under intense, bipartisan scrutiny, the recent statewide recounts have highlighted how reliable the results are. Much of the strength of the system derives from over 150 years of bipartisan work and its federated nature — the 87 county auditors, hundreds of municipal clerks, and 30,000 volunteer election judges who administer Minnesota’s elections and ensure they are free and fair.”

Dayton said Republicans in the Legislature failed over two years to “negotiate bipartisan reforms to election law, and it is disappointing that their failure to do so has led to an unnecessary constitutional amendment that would make it harder for law abiding citizens, including tens of thousands of seniors, service members, and students, to exercise their right to vote. I cannot support a constitutional amendment that is pushed through the legislative process by only one political party — and neither should Minnesotans if they see it on the ballot this fall.”

 On Thursday, some lawmakers said they were concerned about the wording of the ballot question and amendment and may take their concerns to the courts.