Overview
- Joe Ceballos, a Mexican‑born legal permanent resident and recently reelected Coldwater mayor, is charged with six felonies: three counts of election perjury and three counts of voting without being qualified.
- Kansas Attorney General Kris W. Kobach announced the case as proof that noncitizen voting occurs frequently, drawing national attention to the prosecution.
- The Department of Homeland Security publicly said it would seek Ceballos’s deportation if he is convicted, further elevating the stakes beyond state charges.
- Ceballos admits he voted as a noncitizen, saying he misunderstood his eligibility; his acknowledgment during a naturalization interview set off the investigation and charges.
- Coldwater residents packed the courthouse in support, Ceballos resigned after winning 101–20, records of his early registration are disputed, and a preliminary hearing is set for March.