Protecting your vote is and has always been the top goal of the process according to election authorities. Protecting the voters, vote watchers, and officials is adding a new, and large law enforcement layer to a day many American officials say should be a celebration of democracy and not a coast-to-coast election encampment. While early voting attracts millions, something happened in a Chicago suburb that points to an election on the edge.
During early voting at Orland Park Township headquarters, police say 24-year-old local resident, Daniel Schmidt, went on a profanity-lit tirade while refusing to wait in the voter line. According to police and court records obtained by the I-Team, Schmidt shoved a 74-year-old election judge and then punched him in the face. Police say Schmidt also struck an 80-year-old woman as he wound up to swing. Even though Schmidt appears to be a martial arts enthusiast on his social media pages, he was restrained by others at the precinct until police arrived. Now he faces 10 criminal counts including felony battery.
U.S. intelligence is so concerned about violence targeting election officials that they have put out a personal security training video for poll workers and election supervisors focusing on potential risks; situational awareness and de-escalating hostilities, including how to protect your home.
"Election officials have a hard job, and they should be given the benefit of the doubt until we know otherwise, that most of what's happening is not a conspiracy to determine the result in advance, to come up with ways to cheat and break the rules. It's largely trying to figure out how to manage very difficult, big process, usually not with huge budgets either," Brian Gaines, University of Illinois political science professor told the I-Team.
A national election command post is now operational by the FBI where numerous federal agencies are monitoring potential election problems.
"We have the criminal division, the counterintelligence division, cyber division, the weapons of mass destruction division. They're all brought together here," said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Deputy Assistant Director James Barnicle.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined dozens of his U.S. colleagues in signing a letter condemning violence in response to whatever the election results look like and encouraging a peaceful transfer of power. As for that not-so-peaceful incident at an Orland Park precinct on Sunday morning, the Cook County Clerk says such violent incidents are "extremely rare."
Full statement from the Cook County Clerk's Office:
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.