HARRISBURG - It could be nearly a year before Pennsylvanians know whether they will need to show photo identification at the polls for future elections.

Commonwealth Court Judge Robert E. Simpson Jr. said Thursday he would decide within the next 10 days on a trial date to determine the constitutionality of the state's new voter-ID law. But he said he was leaning toward the middle of summer.

Given that timetable, Simpson said, he would be in a position to announce a decision by August. He said that he expected the case to again be appealed to the state Supreme Court, and that he wanted to give that court enough time to render its decision on the law's constitutionality before the November 2013 election.

"I think I need to keep them [Supreme Court] in the circle here," Simpson said.