The wrecker said he will station thugs at voting booths, which is a well-known way of trying to discourage people from voting.

To see the harm this can do, put it together with the practice, in many parts of the US, of burdening poor people with fines, then late fees, then fines for not paying fines, more than they can ever pay off. They are entitled to vote — but they might be rationally scared to pass by a thug to reach the voting booth.