Holder: Current Laws Restricting Felons From Voting Are ‘Unfortunate and Outdated’

Eric Holder: Barring ex-felons from voting is unfair, counterproductive (Christian Science Monitor)

Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday called upon states to repeal laws that bar ex-felons from voting after they complete their sentences, saying such laws are "unjust” and “counterproductive,” as well as disproportionately excluding black Americans from the polls.

Mr. Holder can't force states that withhold voting rights from ex-felons to amend their laws, but his remarks, made at a criminal justice conference at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, could help prompt reconsideration of such laws.