A Black Texas grandmother can finally move on from the state’s aggressive prosecution of her 2016 provisional ballot, which was never counted as a vote. Yes, there is finally justice for Crystal Mason, as her conviction for illegal voting was overturned, resulting in an acquittal, which is seen as a major victory for voting rights.
The Texas Second Court of Appeals reversed the conviction Thursday evening after the court said the requirement that there be proof that the person knew he or she was ineligible was not met in this case because there was no evidence that Crystal Mason knew she wasn’t eligible to vote. when she cast her vote.
Mason was originally sentenced to five years in prison for casting a provisional ballot in the 2016 election while on supervised release for federal tax evasion, even though she thought she was doing her civic duty and didn’t realize she was ineligible to to vote.
“I’m thrilled to see my faith rewarded today,†Crystal Mason said. “I was thrown into this fight for voting rights and will continue to swing to ensure that no one else has to deal with what I have endured for the past six years: a political ploy attacking the voting rights of minorities. I cried and prayed every night for over six years that I would remain a free black woman. I thank everyone whose dedication and support have helped me through this time and look forward to celebrating this moment with my family and friends.”
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“The case thrust Mason, who is black, into the political fray amid a Republican-led crackdown on voter fraud, fueled in part by baseless claims of rampant illegal voting,” the Texas Tribune reported.
It’s a victory that Mason was finally cleared of this obvious voter intimidation tactic, but it also should never have happened. When we look at the broader point of laws like the Texas voter laws, we see that they have a chilling effect on black voters, which serves Republicans’ purposes. So Republican laws are designed to intimidate voters who often don’t vote for them.
Mason’s conviction and subsequent intimidation are intended as a warning to others not to vote.
“We are very pleased that the court followed the rule of law. It is clear that the state’s prosecution of Crystal was malicious and purely politically motivated,” said Kim T. Cole, Crystal Mason’s civil attorney.
“The state’s attorney specifically stated that they wanted to send ‘a message’ to voters. They deliberately put Crystal through six years of pure hell. She woke up every morning not knowing if that would be the day her freedom would be taken away.”
And that is precisely the purpose of these laws: to send a message to voters who tend to vote for Democrats. It is downright partisan and profanely anti-freedom.
It should not escape the notice of people that it is the Republicans who continue to be convicted of committing voter fraud. Yesterday, a Georgia judge ruled that Brian K. Pritchard, the vice chairman of the Republican Party and a conservative talk show host, illegally voted nine times while on probation for check forgery. Although he claimed the 2020 election was fraudulent, he only has to pay $5,000, so his life will not be turned upside down, nor will he be subjected to intimidation as the “face” of illegal voting.
These kinds of criminal attempts to scare opponents into not voting are a clear indication of the authoritarian tendencies the Republican Party has embraced under Donald Trump. Freedom is precious and very difficult to maintain.
Image: American Civil Liberties Union
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