Civil rights groups hail court ruling they say will allow tens of thousands of ex-felons to cast ballots in North Carolina

A preliminary ruling by a three-judge panel in North Carolina is clearing the way for roughly 56,000 of the state's residents who have been convicted of felonies -- but who aren't currently serving prison time -- to register to vote, civil rights groups said.

The action comes out of a lawsuit by civil rights groups and ex-offenders who have challenged a North Carolina law that denies the right to vote to felons until they have completed all aspects of their sentence, including probation and parole. On Monday, Superior Court Judge Lisa Bell told participants during a brief hearing that two judges on a three-judge panel would issue a preliminary injunction that bars the state from denying voter registration from North Carolinians convicted of felonies who were on probation, parole or post-release supervision, voting rights groups said.