Not voting is the withdrawal of 'consent to be governed'
Consent of the governed - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Consent of the governed" is a phrase synonymous with a political theory where in a government's legitimacy and moral right to use state power is only justified and legal when derived from the people or society over which that political power is exercised. This theory of "consent" is historically contrasted to the divine right of kings and has often been invoked against the legitimacy of colonialism. Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government."
When consent is witheld the legitimacy of the policy is in doubt - ie. the mandate has not been approved.
Mandate (politics) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The legitimacy of imposing police commissioners onto the population is in doubt.