Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach shocked observers Wednesday by announcing felony election fraud charges against Coldwater Mayor Jose “Joe” Ceballos, just a day after voters re-elected him for a second term.
Ceballos, 54, faces three counts of voting without being qualified and three counts of election perjury, charges that could carry significant prison time and fines.
Ceballos, a legal permanent resident and citizen of Mexico, allegedly voted illegally in multiple elections, including the 2022 general, 2023 local and 2024 primary elections, the Kansas Reflector reports.
Kobach described the case as a breach of trust, emphasizing the responsibility of voters to accurately attest to their eligibility.
“In large part, our system right now is based on trust,” he said, according to The Topeka-Capital Journal.
“Trust that when the person signs the registration or signs the poll books saying that he’s a qualified elector or that he is a United States citizen, that the person is telling the truth. In this case, we allege that Mr. Ceballos violated that trust.”
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab highlighted new federal verification tools that can identify ineligible voters.
“We now have tools, thanks to the current White House, that we haven’t had in over 10 years … that we can check through the SAVE program, to find out if folks end up on our voter rolls,” Schwab explained, per Trending Politics.
The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, run by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, allows agencies to confirm citizenship and immigration status for voting and other government benefits.
The mayor’s legal and political future remains uncertain.
Coldwater City Council President Britt Lenertz said a special meeting was called Wednesday to address the situation.
“At this time, our focus remains on ensuring that city operations continue to run smoothly and that the needs of our community are met,” Lenertz said.
“While the recent allegations involving the mayor are understandably concerning, we will allow the proper legal process to take its course before making any further comments.”
Ceballos’ tenure in local government includes two terms on the Coldwater City Council before his 2021 election as mayor.
City Attorney Skip Herd confirmed that Ceballos had been registered to vote since 1990 but only applied for U.S. citizenship in February, raising questions about his eligibility to hold office.
The charges carry potential prison sentences of up to 34 months for each count of voting without qualification and up to 17 months for each election perjury charge, with fines reaching $100,000 per violation.
Kobach stressed the broader implications for electoral integrity, stating that even a small number of illegal votes could undermine the rights of qualified U.S. citizens.
Officials have indicated that while the SAVE program helps identify noncitizen voters, the Ceballos case was not detected using that system.
Kobach predicted additional instances of noncitizens registered to vote in Kansas, underscoring the importance of verification and enforcement.
As the case develops, Coldwater has become a focal point for discussions on election integrity, citizenship verification and municipal governance.
Leaders and residents alike are watching closely, awaiting due process and the legal resolution of the mayor’s status.
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