COLDWATER LEADER FACES SIX FELONY COUNTS AFTER ALLEGED UNLAWFUL VOTES IN MULTIPLE ELECTIONS
The mayor of Coldwater, Kansas, Jose “Joe” Ceballos, has been criminally charged after state officials concluded he voted in several elections despite not being a U.S. citizen. The charges were announced Wednesday by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and Secretary of State Scott Schwab.
The indictment alleges Ceballos, a lawful permanent resident originally from Mexico, cast ballots in the 2022 general election, the 2023 race and the 2024 primary even though only U.S. citizens are eligible to vote. He faces six felony counts, including perjury and unlawful voting. If convicted, he could face more than five years in prison.
According to the complaint, Ceballos had served on the city council and was re-elected mayor before the charges were filed. Kansas election officials say they have used a federal immigration database to identify non-citizen registrations and are pursuing deeper reviews.
The state’s top election officials emphasized that while holding municipal office as a non‐citizen is not itself a crime under state law, casting a vote without lawful citizenship is. “In this case, we allege Mr. Ceballos violated that trust,” Kobach said.
Legal experts note that the case has broader implications for election integrity efforts, as Kansas has been at the forefront of non-citizen voting claims and laws aimed at purging voter rolls. However, critics argue such prosecutions are rare and hard to prove, with only isolated cases documented historically.
Ceballos’ first appearance in court is scheduled for December 3. He has not publicly commented on the allegations. The outcome could raise new questions about oversight mechanisms in small jurisdictions and how states verify voter eligibility beyond self-attestation.
For Coldwater, a rural city in Comanche County, the mayor’s legal troubles underscore how local governance intersects with national debates over immigration, citizenship and voting rights. The case may prompt other states to review similar registrations and ballots cast by non-citizens.
