The mayor of Coldwater, Kansas, Jose (Joe) Ceballos, was recently charged with election fraud by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach. The charges were filed the day after Ceballos won re-election. Kobach alleges that Ceballos, a 54-year-old Mexican citizen, voted multiple times despite not being a U.S. citizen, which is a violation of Kansas law. According to Coldwater City Attorney Skip Herd, Ceballos has been a registered voter since 1990 and applied for U.S. citizenship in February of this year, which subsequently raised questions about his legal citizenship status.
Attorney General Kobach stated that noncitizen voting is a “very real problem” that effectively nullifies the votes of U.S. citizens. While instances of noncitizen voting are statistically rare, debates surrounding election integrity remain prominent. Data from various studies show differing perspectives on the frequency and impact of such occurrences. The investigation into Ceballos’ case is ongoing, and the legal proceedings will determine the outcome.