It was voting as usual at the Orland Park Township headquarters before Daniel Schmidt, a 24-year-old, reportedly cut the voting line, and went on an aggressive rant, before punching an electoral judge.
Daniel Schmidt has been charged with two counts of aggravated battery against people over 60 years of age, two counts of aggravated battery in a public space, five misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, and one count of disorderly conduct.
How was Daniel Schmidt apprehended?
Daniel Schmidt was apprehended after a series of escalating events at an early voting. The longtime election judge, who requested anonymity, explained to CBC News over the phone that the incident began on Sunday when Schmidt attempted to cut in front of approximately 100 people waiting to vote at the Orland Park Township Office. When the election judge informed Schmidt that he needed to return to the end of the line and wait his turn, Schmidt refused to comply.
Another election judge was called for assistance, but Schmidt continued to resist, yelling profanities. To block Schmidt, the election judge stated to CBC News:
“I got in his way to stop him.”
During their exchange, Schmidt struck the election judge in the left side of the face. Additionally, he hit an 81-year-old woman, causing her to lose her balance, as reported by police and Cook County prosecutors.
As the situation escalated, another poll worker and a voter intervened, managing to wrestle Schmidt to the ground until law enforcement arrived. According to the police, Schmidt also resisted arrest. The election judge noted that Schmidt didn’t express any political motivations during the incident; instead, he seemed solely focused on getting his way, feeling obstructed by the election officials.
Cook County Clerk's Office issued an official statement regarding the incident with Daniel Schmidt. They said:
"Incidents of this nature are extremely rare in suburban Cook County, and this was an isolated event. No similar issues have been reported at any of our other 53 Early Voting locations.
Our election judges are trained to call 911 in the event of any security emergency, and we thank the Orland Park Police Department for their prompt response.
The safety of our poll workers is a top priority for the Cook County Clerk's Office, and we go to great lengths to provide a safe and secure environment for election workers as well as voters at all of our polling locations."
According to CBC News, the Pentagon has indicated that Illinois is one of at least six states that have activated National Guard troops in anticipation of potential political violence ahead of Tuesday's election. However, officials from the Governor's office have denied these claims.
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