Crystal Mason begins prison sentence in Texas for crime of voting
Mason’s crime was to cast a ballot in the 2016 presidential election.
An African American woman, she had been encouraged by her mother to do her civic duty and vote, in her case on behalf of Hillary Clinton.
When she turned up to the polling station her name was not on the register, so she cast a provisional ballot that was never counted.
She did not read the small print of the form that said that anyone who has been convicted of a felony – as she had, having previously been convicted of tax fraud – was prohibited from voting under Texas law.
The Guardian highlighted her plight last month.
For casting a vote that was not counted, she will now serve 10 months in the federal system.
While locked up it is likely that her final appeals in state court will be exhausted, which means she could be passed at the end of the 10 months directly to state custody for a further five years.
I agree that felons ought not to be allowed to vote and I support voter ID laws.
But this is a bit much, no?
Like five years in prison for possession of a joint.
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