HARRISBURG — Democrats on the House budget-writing committee Thursday accused the Corbett administration of not doing enough to prepare for the possibility that Pennsylvania’s embattled voter-identification law will be enforced in this year’s general election.

The lawmakers questioned Secretary of State Carol Aichele about Republican Gov. Tom Corbett’s decision not to include money for outreach efforts in his 2013-14 budget plan even though the law could be in full effect — or overturned — by the time voters head to the polls in November.

“This (law) has created tremendous confusion,” said Rep. Matthew Bradford, D-Montgomery. “People have no idea what the status of their ability to vote is. We’re going to have to educate people. There’s got to be some appropriation for that.”

Aichele defended her department’s efforts, saying it spent $4.9 million in federal money last year on a multimedia campaign to explain the new requirement that all voters show photo ID at the polls.

“There is a high level of awareness about voter ID across Pennsylvania,” Aichele asserted in testimony before the House Appropriations Committee.

Even though the law was signed in March 2012, the requirement has never been enforced because of a pending lawsuit challenging its constitutionality.

A court order barred it from taking effect as scheduled in the presidential election and will remain in force in the May primary. A trial in Commonwealth Court is scheduled for July, although the case is ultimately expected to be settled by the state Supreme Court. It’s not clear if the matter will be settled before the Nov. 5 election.

The bill was approved in the Legislature without a single Democratic vote, touching off a politically polarized debate.

Democrats said it was a thinly veiled attempt by Republicans to discourage minorities, senior citizens and other Democratic-leaning groups from voting, while Republicans said it provided protection against voter fraud. Aichele said Thursday that she had no evidence and knew of no incidents of voter fraud in last year’s election.