HARRISBURG, Pa. — A judge on Tuesday blocked Pennsylvania from requiring voters to show photo identification in November's election, a decision that could influence turnout in a top electoral prize in the presidential race.

In a setback for Republican state officials who championed the controversial law and had hoped it would help them deliver Pennsylvania for their party's presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson delayed its implementation until after Election Day, Nov. 6.

Simpson, however, did signal the law, which requires people seeking to vote to show either a state driver's license, government employee ID or a state non-driver ID card, could be implemented for future elections. The judge, ordered by the state's highest court to revisit his earlier ruling upholding the law, set a hearing for Dec. 13 to further discuss the case.

The ruling comes exactly five weeks before the presidential election pitting challenger Romney against President Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee whom polls show has a sizable lead in the state. The closely watched case is also one of several challenges to recent laws around the country requiring voters to show proof of who they are and their eligibility to vote.

Simpson, who heard frustrated voters testify about the slow, mistake-prone process of obtaining the cards, said he had expected a greater number of identification cards to have been issued by now.

“For this reason, I accept (the) argument that in the remaining five weeks before the general election, the gap between the photo IDs issued and the estimated need will not be closed,” the judge said in an 18-page ruling.

“This is a victory for the petitioners and people who will be able to vote on Election Day,” said Marian Schneider, one of the attorneys for the voting rights and civil rights groups challenging the law.

Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, a Republican who helped push the law through the Pennsylvania legislature this spring without a single Democratic vote, said he was pleased the law was upheld for future elections.

At a fundraiser in June, Turzai had touted it as a key achievement that would help the Romney camp this November, saying: “Voter ID, which is going to allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania — done.”

Governor Tom Corbett, also a Republican and backer of the law, said he had no plans to appeal the decision handed down on Tuesday.

Corbett and other supporters say the law is aimed at ensuring only those legally eligible to vote cast ballots. Critics say it is designed to keep minority voters, who typically vote Democratic, away from the polls.

The state of Pennsylvania has acknowledged it has never seen a case of in-person voter fraud, according to court testimony.