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')
Book Reference
Wolff,Jonathan: 'An Introduction to Political Philosophy (Rev)' [OUP 2006], p.41
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'.