I am supposing, then, that the N&O article, and Mrs. C’s remarks on voting privileges for ex-felons, refers to those XF’s who live in state in which they cannot vote.
The remarks are still significant in terms of the voting blocs Democrats are seeking in 2008, which we can suppose include not only the felons themselves, but people who feel compassionate toward disenfrachised ex-criminals. For that reason, it still pays to court the target groups, and to mention it in NC.