Longtime Coldwater Mayor Charged with Illegal Voting

Joe Ceballos, a legal permanent resident, faces felony charges for voting in elections despite not being a U.S. citizen.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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Joe Ceballos, the recently re-elected mayor of Coldwater, Kansas, has been charged with three counts of election perjury and three counts of voting without being qualified, after authorities alleged he voted illegally as a non-citizen. Ceballos, who has lived in Coldwater for decades and is a legal permanent resident, claims he registered to vote as a young man without realizing he was ineligible. The case has drawn national attention, with the Trump administration vowing to seek Ceballos' deportation if he is convicted.

Why it matters

The prosecution of Ceballos, a pillar of the Coldwater community who has held elected office for years, has divided the town. While some conservatives have framed the case as an example of widespread voter fraud, many locals have rallied behind Ceballos, questioning whether the charges are a personal attack. The case has reignited the debate over immigration and voting rights in a rural Kansas town.

The details

Ceballos, 55, was charged shortly after winning re-election as Coldwater's mayor in a landslide. Authorities allege he illegally voted in multiple elections despite not being a U.S. citizen. Ceballos claims he registered to vote as a young man without realizing he was ineligible, and has been a regular voter in Coldwater for decades, always supporting Republican candidates. He resigned as mayor after the charges were announced.

  • Ceballos was recently re-elected as mayor of Coldwater in a small-town landslide, with 101 votes to his opponent's 20.
  • Hours before the votes were tallied, Ceballos was charged in state court with voting illegally as a non-citizen.
  • Ceballos' preliminary hearing is scheduled for March.

The players

Joe Ceballos

A 55-year-old legal permanent resident of the United States who has served as mayor of Coldwater, Kansas for years.

Kris W. Kobach

The Republican Kansas Attorney General who brought the charges against Ceballos, claiming the case is proof of widespread non-citizen voting.

Tricia McLaughlin

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security who said the agency would seek Ceballos' deportation if he is convicted.

Gail Boisseau

Ceballos' high school teacher who recalled taking students, including Ceballos, on a field trip to the county courthouse where they were offered voter registration.

Bri Uhl

The Comanche County Clerk who said her office had no record of Ceballos registering to vote before 1999.

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What they’re saying

“Noncitizen voting is a real problem. It is not something that happens once in a decade. It is something that happens fairly frequently.”

— Kris W. Kobach, Kansas Attorney General (tri-cityherald.com)

“Every time a noncitizen votes, it effectively cancels out the vote of a U.S. citizen. If a person who is not a U.S. citizen actually ends up on the ballot for an office, then a U.S. citizen lost the opportunity to obtain that office.”

— Kris W. Kobach, Kansas Attorney General (tri-cityherald.com)

“This alien committed a felony by voting in American elections.”

— Tricia McLaughlin, Department of Homeland Security Spokesperson (tri-cityherald.com)

“I think he needs to find out a little bit more what's going on. The whole county backs Joe.”

— Dennis Byram, Coldwater Resident (tri-cityherald.com)

“Nobody ever told me that I couldn't vote or register to vote. And so, as a young man, yeah, I did it. I registered.”

— Joe Ceballos (tri-cityherald.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on whether to allow Ceballos out on bail at his preliminary hearing scheduled for March.

The takeaway

The prosecution of Ceballos, a longtime pillar of the Coldwater community, has divided the town and reignited the national debate over immigration and voting rights. While some see the case as proof of widespread voter fraud, many locals have rallied behind Ceballos, questioning whether the charges are a personal attack on a respected public servant.