Full Idea
One thought is that consent to government is communicated via the ballot-box. In voting for the government we give it our consent.
Gist of Idea
Maybe voting in elections is a grant of legitimacy to the winners
Source
Jonathan Wolff (An Introduction to Political Philosophy (Rev) [2006], 2 'Voluntaristic')
A Reaction
Hm. This may be a strong positive reason why some people refuse to vote. We shouldn't load voting with such heavy commitments. It's just 'given the current situation, who will be temporarily in charge'.
Book Reference
Wolff,Jonathan: 'An Introduction to Political Philosophy (Rev)' [OUP 2006], p.41