Noncitizen Kansas mayor accused of illegally voting 'multiple times' after winning re-election

The mayor of a Kansas town who won re-election on Tuesday has been accused of election fraud for allegedly voting despite being a noncitizen.

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach (R) announced the charges against Jose "Joe" Ceballos, the mayor of Coldwater, on Wednesday. The 54-year-old is a permanent resident of the U.S. but not a citizen, according to Kobach, and is a citizen of Mexico.

'In large part, our system right now is based on trust. ... In this case, we allege that Mr. Ceballos violated that trust.'

"Joe Ceballos, who garnered nearly 83% of the vote Tuesday for a second term as Coldwater mayor, was charged with three counts of voting without being qualified and three counts of election perjury," Kobach said. "Both are felony offenses."

"In Kansas, it is against the law to vote if you are not a U.S. citizen. We allege that Mr. Ceballos did it multiple times," Kobach added.

If found guilty, Ceballos could face nearly five years in prison and a $200,000 fine.

"In large part, our system right now is based on trust," Kobach said. "Trust that when the person signed the registration or signs the pollbooks saying that he’s a qualified elector or that he is a United States citizen, that the person is telling the truth. In this case, we allege that Mr. Ceballos violated that trust."

The president of the Coldwater City Council released a statement before Kobach's press conference on Facebook.

"While the recent allegations involving the mayor are understandably concerning, we will allow the proper legal process to take its course before making any further comments," Britt Lenertz said. "It’s important that we respect both due process and the integrity of our local government."

Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab said during the press conference that new resources provided by President Donald Trump allowed the administration to check voters' citizenship status.

"They could be a legal resident, but they're not a citizen, and we want to make sure that gets clarified," said Schwab said. "If they voted, then it's a crime. And we have run that system; we're currently verifying. We don’t want any false positives, but, Attorney General, be prepared to be busy."

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The city attorney for Coldwater said that Ceballos raised some red flags after seeking citizenship status in February.

"He’s been a registered voter since 1990. He applied for citizenship in February of this year and, through that, raised the issue of whether he was a legal citizen," said Skip Herd.

Ceballos was first elected mayor in 2021 and ran unopposed for re-election in 2025. The city attorney will determine whether he will be eligible to continue as mayor.

"As a mayor, he’s done a wonderful job," continued Lenertz. "As a city councilmember, he’s done a wonderful job. He’s always put our community first in everything he does."

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