Third, in what sense do those who do not exercise their voting power
consent to being ruled by whoever wins the election? It might be argued that
those who say nothing consent, but that argument obviously is fallacious.
Some of those who do not vote may do so because they understand, however
dimly, that there is something wrong with giving a few ambitious men or
women the power to rule others. To interpret their ‘abstinence’ as an
expression of consent is scandalous.