Crystal Mason, a Texas mother who was sentenced to five years behind bars for voting illegally, said she won’t be intimidated by the government despite her conviction — and vowed to use her experience to “educate the next generation” of voters about their rights.
“I never expected to be here as an advocate for voting rights. I had never been an activist before,” Mason, whose case has been highlighted by civil rights activists as a blatant example of voter suppression, wrote in a Monday op-ed published in The Washington Post.
“But now that I know what the system can do to people, I have to use that knowledge to educate the next generation and to let them know what their rights are. I want to let them know that we can make a difference as a whole,” she continued.
Mason, who is appealing her conviction, cast a provisional ballot in Tarrant County, Texas, in November 2016. She had recently completed a prison sentence for felony tax fraud and, though still on supervised release, was steadily rebuilding her life.
“I was enrolled in classes, working long hours to keep my home and watching my older children graduate from high school,” Mason wrote. “Voting wasn’t really at the top of my mind at the time.”
But, Mason said, her family had instilled in her a sense of civic responsibility; so “on Election Day, we went to the same polling place we always went to.”
Mason said she had no idea that she was ineligible to vote at the time (felons in Texas are prohibited from voting while they’re serving their sentences, which includes incarceration, parole and probation) and had accepted a volunteer election worker’s suggestion that she cast a provisional ballot after her name couldn’t be found on the rolls.
Mason’s ballot was never counted, but Tarrant County’s Republican District Attorney Sharen Wilson charged her for voting illegally nonetheless. Wilson alleged that Mason had knowingly flouted the law ― something Mason has vehemently denied.
“No one had ever told me I couldn’t vote. Not while I was in prison preparing to reenter society, and not while I was on supervised release,” she wrote in the op-ed.
As HuffPost’s Sam Levine reported last month, 12,668 provisional ballots have been cast in Tarrant County since 2014 ― and election officials have rejected 11,085 of them. Mason, however, appears to be the only voter among them who’s been singled out for prosecution.
“Crystal’s case is an effort in voter suppression. This has nothing to do with whether or not she was eligible to vote,” Kim Cole, one of Mason’s attorneys, told the congregation at Mason’s church on Sept. 8. “They don’t want folks who look like Crystal to show up at the polls.”
Two days after Cole’s remarks, Mason appealed her sentence before a three-judge, all-Republican panel in Fort Worth. The court appeared hesitant to overturn her conviction, Levine reported.
The ACLU has said that it will petition the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state’s highest criminal court, to review Mason’s case if the panel declines to throw out her conviction. The court has yet to announce its decision.
In her op-ed this week, Mason said her experience has emboldened her to share her story with younger voters.
“When I had my welcome-home party after returning from prison this year (I had to serve extra time in federal prison because my illegal-voting conviction was considered a violation of the terms of my release), I had a voter-registration table there for younger adults. It was a party with a purpose,” she wrote.
“I see hope in the new up-and-coming generation. They’re loud, and they speak out about their rights. They’re making noise in a good way, because they know in their hearts that if our votes didn’t matter, the system wouldn’t be trying so hard to stop us,” she continued.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.