Topeka, Kansas — Kansas officials have filed criminal charges against Joe Ceballos, the mayor of a small rural community, alleging that he repeatedly voted in local and state elections despite not being a U.S. citizen. The case, announced Wednesday by Secretary of State Scott Schwab and Attorney General Kris Kobach, both Republicans, is reigniting debate over the integrity of America’s voter rolls and the need for tougher election safeguards.
According to the complaint, Ceballos, a lawful permanent resident originally from Mexico, is accused of casting ballots in the 2022, 2023, and 2024 elections. Prosecutors filed six charges in Comanche County, including perjury and voting without being qualified — crimes that together carry a potential prison sentence exceeding five years.
While Ceballos did not respond to media inquiries, officials say the evidence against him is “unassailable.” Kobach confirmed that state investigators obtained proof that Ceballos was not a citizen, despite signing voter forms affirming he was eligible to vote.
“Noncitizen voting is a real problem,” Kobach said. “It’s not something that happens once in a decade — it happens far more often than most people realize.”
Under federal law, states must regularly maintain and verify their voter rolls. That includes cross-checking records with federal immigration databases to identify individuals who may be ineligible to vote. Kobach, a longtime advocate of voter ID laws and a key ally of President Donald Trump, said that while the process has improved, it remains far from foolproof.
“Our election system is based on trust,” Kobach explained. “When a person signs a registration form claiming to be a U.S. citizen, we rely on their honesty. In this case, that trust was clearly violated.”
The attorney general also noted that public officials, including mayors, are required to be U.S. citizens. While holding office as a noncitizen is not itself a criminal offense, it raises serious questions about the integrity of local governance.
Ceballos was reportedly on the ballot for re-election this week, but the results have not yet been certified.
Kobach’s office has recently begun using a federal database that cross-references voter registration records with immigration data — a step officials believe will expose more cases of unlawful voting. The move reflects a growing push among conservatives nationwide to fortify the election system against fraud, even as Democrats continue to dismiss noncitizen voting as statistically insignificant.
Kobach, who previously served as Kansas secretary of state, has been at the forefront of national efforts to secure elections and enforce immigration laws. Though critics have challenged his previous initiatives, Kobach maintains that even a handful of illegal votes can undermine confidence in the democratic process.
“Every illegal vote cancels out a legal one,” he said. “That should concern every American, regardless of party.”
Ceballos’ first court appearance is scheduled for December 3.
