Illinois man punches election judge after refusing to wait in line to vote, charged with felonies

An Illinois man was so eager to vote Sunday morning he skipped the line and punched an election judge who told him to wait his turn, ABC News reports.

Orland Park police arrested 24-year-old Daniel Schmidt for "causing a disturbance in the voting line" at the polling place, police said. He refused the first election judge who told him to go to the back of the voting line, prompting a second to affirm the command.

"Schmidt attempted to push past that election judge and was prevented from entering by that judge and several other employees" then "began to yell profanities and punched the election judge in the face, knocking their glasses off," police said.

Other voters jumped into action at that point, restraining Schmidt until police arrived, where he again tried to resist arrest, police said.

The Cook County States Attorney’s Office approved four counts of Class 3 felonies, aggravated battery to a victim over 60 and aggravated battery in a public place, five misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct.