Charges Filed Against Mayor for Illegal Voting
Prosecutors have brought charges against a Mexican national who serves as the mayor of a small Kansas city, alleging he voted illegally in several elections.
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced that Jose Ceballos, the mayor of Coldwater, Kansas, has been indicted on three counts of ineligible voting and three counts of election perjury. This situation arises amidst ongoing scrutiny of foreign voting, aided by a strengthened database system from the previous administration.
“In Kansas, voting without U.S. citizenship is against the law,” Kobach stated. “We allege Mr. Ceballos violated this law multiple times.”
“Voting by noncitizens, whether legal or undocumented, is a serious issue,” he added. “Every instance of non-citizen voting essentially undermines the votes of American citizens.”
The charges came just a day after Ceballos was re-elected in Coldwater, a town with a few hundred residents in Comanche County.
Prosecutors claim Ceballos was a legal permanent resident who did not acquire U.S. citizenship until after registering to vote. The charges could result in more than five years in prison if he is found guilty.
Kansas officials attributed their ability to identify these issues to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, a tool managed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services intended to prevent non-citizens from voting.
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab noted, “Thanks to the current administration, we now have tools that were not available for over a decade.” He emphasized the importance of the SAVE program in checking voter rolls for citizenship.
He went on to clarify, “While they may be legal residents, they are not citizens.”
Earlier this year, USCIS improved the SAVE program in partnership with the Social Security Administration to verify citizenship more effectively, addressing concerns about foreign participation in elections. This update occurred after an executive order aimed at preserving election integrity was signed by President Trump.
Officials in various states have actively pursued initiatives to reinforce these efforts, including lawsuits against individuals suspected of voting without proper citizenship.
