A small-town mayor in Kansas is facing felony charges after allegedly voting illegally in his own election despite not being a U.S. citizen.
Jose Ceballos, the recently re-elected mayor of Coldwater, was charged [1] with multiple counts of election-related crimes after Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced the findings of an investigation into his eligibility to vote.
Ceballos, a Mexican national living in the United States legally, reportedly voted for himself in violation of state law that restricts voting rights to U.S. citizens.
The mayor of Coldwater, KS, Jose Ceballos, exposed as foreign national who not only got elected, but has also been voting in federal and state elections since at least 2022.
Dems say this can’t happen. pic.twitter.com/nLVQJBn88J [2]
— A Man Of Memes (@RickyDoggin) November 7, 2025 [3]
Attorney General Kobach announced the charges in a press release on November 5, one day after the 2025 election.
“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 said.
“Voting by noncitizens, including both legal and illegal aliens, is a very real problem. It happens. Every time a noncitizen votes, it effectively cancels out a U.S. citizen’s vote.”
According to Kobach’s office, the charges were filed in Comanche County, where Coldwater is located. Ceballos faces three counts of voting without being qualified and three counts of election perjury.
The offenses are classified as nonperson felonies under Kansas law and carry a potential prison sentence of more than five years.
The investigation and subsequent charges have renewed statewide debate about proof-of-citizenship laws and voter verification systems.
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab joined Kobach in announcing the charges and called attention to previous efforts to implement stricter voter identification measures.
“I’ve worked with Attorney General Kobach for years on proof of citizenship as a useful tool to root out election crimes,” Schwab said.
“During my time as House Elections Chair, then Secretary Kobach and I fought to pass a proof of citizenship requirement. Instead, we’re left relying on individuals’ word when it comes to verifying citizenship.”
Schwab noted that Kansas’s proof-of-citizenship law was struck down in federal court in 2018, limiting the state’s ability to verify voter eligibility at registration.
He credited President Donald Trump’s administration for expanding the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, which assists states in confirming voter citizenship status.
“I’m grateful that President Trump implemented the SAVE program to help states and to prevent situations like this,” Schwab said.
The Attorney General’s office confirmed that First Assistant Attorney General Stacy Edwards will prosecute the case, with Special Agent Nate Humble and Special Agent in Charge Matt Simpson leading the investigation.
According to the press release, the ongoing inquiry will also examine whether the city of Coldwater’s charter or local ordinances include any separate provisions for officeholder eligibility.
State law, however, requires that any individual elected to public office be a “qualified elector,” meaning they must be eligible to vote.
While it remains unclear how long Ceballos had been registered to vote, the charges indicate that he participated in multiple elections.
BREAKING: Kansas Attorney General just filed charges against Coldwater Mayor Jose Ceballos for voting ILLEGALLY as a NONCITIZEN.
How did he vote, let alone get elected? pic.twitter.com/DN9deMiAJD [4]
— Derrick Evans (@DerrickEvans4WV) November 6, 2025 [5]
If convicted, Ceballos could face a prison sentence and loss of eligibility to hold public office in the United States.
The case is being closely watched by election officials and lawmakers as Kansas continues to debate the enforcement of citizenship verification laws for voter registration and candidacy.
The incident comes amid broader national discussions about election integrity and the role of noncitizens in local government.
Kansas law explicitly prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal, state, or local elections, regardless of legal residency status.