Archive · 7 Nov 2025
Kansas Mayor Charged for Allegedly Voting as Noncitizen
The mayor of a small town in Kansas, Joe Ceballos, is in trouble because officials say he voted in elections even though he is not a US citizen.
He is a lawful permanent resident from Mexico.
He is accused of voting in three recent elections.
Because he is not a citizen, he was not allowed to vote.
Officials have charged him with crimes like lying and voting when he shouldn't have.
If found guilty, he could go to jail.
The Kansas Secretary of State and Attorney General announced these charges.
They are looking into how he was able to register and vote, and they mentioned they are now using a new federal database to check voter records against immigration information.
His first court date is in December 2025.
Kansas Mayor Jose 'Joe' Ceballos faces criminal charges for allegedly voting in elections as a non-US citizen.
Ceballos, a lawful permanent resident from Mexico, is accused of voting in the 2022, 2023, and 2024 elections.
The charges include perjury and voting without qualification, carrying a potential prison sentence.
Kansas officials stated that while holding office as a non-citizen isn't a crime, voting as one is.
New state efforts involve cross-checking voter rolls with federal immigration databases to identify potential violations.
- Who
- Jose 'Joe' Ceballos, Mayor of Coldwater, Kansas
- What
- Charged with perjury and voting without qualification for allegedly voting in multiple elections as a non-US citizen.
- When
- Charges announced Wednesday; alleged voting occurred in 2022, 2023, and 2024 elections.
- Where
- Coldwater, Kansas
- Why
- Allegedly voted despite not being a US citizen, violating election laws and trust in the voter registration system.
- Name
- Jose 'Joe' Ceballos
- Position
- Mayor of Coldwater, Kansas
- Allegations
- Voting in multiple elections as a non-US citizen
- Charges
- Perjury, voting without qualification
- Origin
- Mexico (lawful permanent resident)
- First Court Appearance
- December 3, 2025