Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach has charged Jose Ceballos, mayor of Coldwater, with six felonies for allegedly voting illegally as a noncitizen. The criminal complaint alleges Ceballos cast ballots in three elections between 2022 and 2024 while violating state law requiring political officeholders to be U.S. citizens.
Ceballos, a Mexican national and legal permanent resident, served two terms on the Coldwater City Council before being elected mayor in 2021. Kobach stated that Ceballos’ actions violated Kansas statutes mandating qualified electors must be citizens. The charges include three counts of “voting without being qualified” and three counts of “election perjury,” each carrying up to $100,000 fines and six months in prison.
Kobach emphasized that noncitizens voting undermines democratic processes, noting that each illegal vote effectively cancels a U.S. citizen’s ballot. He also highlighted Kansas’ use of the federal SAVE system to identify ineligible voters, though authorities did not disclose how Ceballos was caught.
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab acknowledged previous skepticism about widespread noncitizen voting but said the state is now verifying records. Coldwater’s City Council declined to comment, stating it would await legal proceedings. Ceballos received 83% of the vote in his mayoral campaign.
