Kansas Felon Charged with Shocking Election Crimes: What This Means for Your Vote!

TOPEKA – Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach has announced that his office has filed election crimes charges against Jose Luis Gomez, Sr. of Hutchinson. This announcement was made via a media release from the Attorney General's office on Tuesday.

The charges, filed in Reno County, include one count of voting without being qualified and two counts of election perjury. Notably, these charges are classified as nonperson felonies. Gomez, who is a convicted felon, is currently in custody in Oklahoma as he awaits deportation due to ongoing federal immigration proceedings.

Kobach emphasized the seriousness of voting by noncitizens, stating, “Voting by noncitizens, including both legal and illegal aliens, is a very real problem. Every time a noncitizen votes, it cancels out a U.S. citizen’s vote. Unfortunately, there are likely to be more cases as we continue to discover these cases.” He voiced a strong rebuttal to claims made by the ACLU that illegal voting by noncitizens does not occur, declaring, “It’s time to stop believing their lies.”

This case was referred to Kobach's office by Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, who is utilizing the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to identify Kansas electors who are not U.S. citizens. During his tenure as Secretary of State, Kobach was vocal about preventing illegal voting by noncitizens, pushing for legislative measures to secure the electoral process.

While eight states, including Kansas, have enacted laws mandating proof of citizenship to register to vote in certain cases, implementation has been limited. Only four states—Arizona, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Wyoming—have put these laws into practice. However, a federal court struck down the Kansas proof-of-citizenship law in 2018, illustrating the challenges faced in enforcing such measures.

As the Attorney General, Kobach continues to advocate for policies that ensure only qualified electors are permitted to cast votes in Kansas elections. The investigation into Gomez’s case was led by Special Agent in Charge Matt Simpson, with prosecution handled by First Assistant Attorney General Stacy Edwards.

The implications of this case extend beyond the individual charges against Gomez. It reflects ongoing debates around voter eligibility and the integrity of the electoral process in the U.S. As states grapple with how to address concerns about noncitizen voting, Kobach's office appears committed to pursuing these cases as part of a broader agenda to safeguard American elections.