Kansas Mayor Faces Charges Over Alleged Noncitizen Voting
Local residents in Coldwater, Kansas, have reported unusual activity at city hall in the weeks leading up to recent elections.
Claims of unauthorized access to voter registration documents and irregular discussions among city officials have raised questions about potential election irregularities in the small rural city. While these reports remain unconfirmed, they have prompted closer scrutiny from authorities.
Kansas officials have now filed criminal charges against Joe Ceballos, the mayor of Coldwater, alleging that he illegally voted in multiple elections despite not being a U.S. citizen.
The announcement was made Wednesday by Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab and Attorney General Kris Kobach, both Republicans.
Ceballos, a legal permanent resident originally from Mexico, faces six counts related to voting in the 2022, 2023, and 2024 elections. He previously served on the Coldwater City Council before assuming the mayoral office, according to Fox News.
State law requires regular maintenance of voter registration lists to ensure only eligible individuals are included. Kobach, a longtime immigration advocate and former Trump ally, emphasized that these procedures include cross-checking external databases for noncitizens, but acknowledged that the system is not foolproof. “Noncitizen voting is a real problem. It is not something that happens once in a decade. It is something that happens fairly frequently,” Kobach said.
The lawsuit alleges that Ceballos provided false statements under oath and voted while ineligible. If convicted, he could face more than five years in prison, according to court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital.
Conclusion
The case against Mayor Ceballos underscores the ongoing focus on voter eligibility and election integrity in the United States. Kansas authorities stress the importance of accurate voter registration and continue to monitor for potential violations, signaling their commitment to enforcing election laws and maintaining public trust in the electoral process.