Texas Woman Affirmed Not Guilty of Voter Fraud in Notoriety Case Promises to Continue Fighting for Voting Rights

A state appeals court reversed Crystal Mason’s five-year sentence on Thursday for using an illegitimate ballot to cast a ballot in the 2016 election.

“If I stop now, it would mean my narrative lacks momentum, impact, and endurance,” she stated. “This cause goes beyond mere passion; I consider it my obligation.”

Mason said she was ignorant of her ineligibility because of a 2011 tax fraud conviction. Mason was sentenced to jail in 2018 for using an unauthorized ballot to vote in the 2016 election. According to her testimony, she cast a provisional ballot with the help of a poll worker. But when they found out she wasn’t allowed to vote, the officials declared her ballot void.

Due to intense national attention to her case, an appeals court ultimately reversed her sentence. In his decision on Thursday, Second District Appeals Court Justice Wade Birdwell stressed that proving guilt cannot be proven by merely casting doubt on Mason’s trustworthiness and ignoring her claim of sincere ignorance.

Mason formed the nonprofit organization Crystal Mason The Fight in 2021, characterizing it as “a reflection of the challenges black and brown communities encounter, not only in the realm of voter suppression but in systemic oppression.”

Mason said that the group has given her the confidence to advocate for voter registration, education, and the defense of voting rights in general.

After being found not guilty, Mason declared that she was even more determined to keep working.

Mason reported that “over 90% of my family members are now deputized registrars,” highlighting their active participation in both local and national elections as well as their active community engagement aimed at empowering and educating voters.

In an MSNBC appearance, Mason urged citizens to “know your rights,” stressing that her experience should not scare others but instead inspire them to use their right to vote.

Mason, who had been released from prison on an appeal bond, expressed intense relief and delight upon learning of her acquittal on Thursday. She also expressed a sense of satisfaction at having a burden lifted off her shoulders as she embraced her newfound freedom.