Trendpills
Jose “Joe” Ceballos, the mayor of the small city of Coldwater, Kansas, is facing felony charges for illegal voting and perjury, announced just a day after he secured a commanding re-election victory with approximately 83% of the vote. The charges were filed by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach’s office on Wednesday, November 5, 2025.
Ceballos, a lawful permanent resident originally from Mexico, is accused of unlawfully voting in the 2022, 2023, and August 2024 primary elections. According to the Attorney General's office, non-U.S. citizens are not permitted to vote in Kansas elections. Ceballos faces three counts of unlawful voting and three counts of perjury for allegedly making false statements on election forms. These charges were announced jointly by Attorney General Kobach and Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, both Republicans.
This high-profile case emerged just after a decisive re-election victory for Ceballos, who has served on the city council before becoming mayor. The investigation into his voting history has raised questions about his eligibility to hold public office, a matter that local officials are now reportedly reviewing. Records show Ceballos had been registered to vote in Comanche County since 2006.
The case is one of the first to be highlighted as part of a broader state-level initiative led by Attorney General Kobach to identify and prosecute noncitizen voters. During the press conference, Kobach stated that his office expects to file “hundreds” of similar cases, utilizing a new system in collaboration with the Kansas Department of Revenue to cross-reference driver's license data with voter rolls. If convicted, Ceballos faces significant penalties for the felony offenses. The criminal charges alleging he voted illegally represent a significant development in the state's focus on election integrity.
