South Carolina voters can cast ballots in upcoming municipal elections without the photo ID required by a new law.

An attorney general's opinion released Tuesday said the time frame between federal officials reviewing the law and upcoming elections at the end of August and early September is too short to implement the law.

The U.S. Justice Department must approve any changes to South Carolina voting laws, and a decision isn't expected before next week. State Election Commission Executive Director Marci Andino says approval could take longer if the agency has more questions.

Andino sought the opinion, saying her agency would not have enough time to educate voters about the law before elections as early as Aug. 30.

An estimated 178,000 voters don't have required state-issued photo IDs.