By Cherri Gregg

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Department of State spent millions in federal tax dollars educating voters on the voter ID law, only to have to revise ads after a judge blocked the law for November. The Department of State says the revisions have only had a minor impact on the voter education budget.

The Department of State originally allocated $5 million in federal voter education dollars for Pennsylvania’s voter ID outreach. Spokesman Matthew Keeler says when the Commonwealth Court blocked the voter law on October 2nd, the Department pulled its TV, radio and print ads for about a week to give time for revisions.

He says the week off meant refunds, which helped keep the ad budget in check.

“The funding that we received back we used for either more spots in the future — closer to the election — or we used to change that commercial a little bit to conform more to the judge’s ruling.”

Keeler says the department also decided to cut out robocalls to voters, which would have cost the Commonwealth about $80,000. As for the actual cost and impact of the revisions to the voter ID ads Keeler says it’s still up in the air.