Kansas attorney general accuses mayor of illegally voting

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach on Wednesday said his office filed election fraud charges against Jose Ceballos, the mayor of Coldwater, Kan. Ceballos, who was reelected the previous day, allegedly voted illegally as a noncitizen three times from 2022 to 2024.

Ceballos faces three counts of voting without being qualified and three counts of election perjury, which are classified as nonperson felonies, according to Kobach’s court complaint. He is presumed legally innocent unless proven guilty in court. If convicted, he faces up to 34 months in prison and a fine of up to $100,000 for each of the illegal voting charges, as well as additional fines and jail time for the election perjury charges, according to Kobach’s complaint.

Can Ceballos keep his position as mayor? State law generally requires that candidates for elected office in cities must be eligible to vote. But cities have home rule power, Kobach said. The Coldwater city attorney would decide whether Ceballos could continue serving as mayor, Kobach said.

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