No, "the vote" has not been extended. It has been "depoliticized".
Animals have always had exactly the same right to vote that humans have. Everyone can, and does, vote- decide- to do what they want as long as it imposes on no one else of their own species. People have no right to impose their wishes on someone else by a majority [sic] vote. And they never did. This is what political "voting" was all about. And it was wrong.
Instead, if I decide to paint my house purple, by my actions of doing so I have "voted" to live in a purple house. My neighbors have no right to "vote" to force me to paint my house a different color. If my neighbors complain too loudly about my purple house, I can paint it another, possibly more annoying, color- or I can move away, or I can shun my neighbors (even as they may choose to shun me). But no one is forcing anyone to do anything just because they get more people to agree on one side of an issue than the other. Because, simply put, no one has a right to not be offended.
If someone decides it would be a good idea to build a water treatment plant, he must convince people to sign on, and pledge their own money, to the project. If someone doesn't want to participate for some reason, he is not coerced into going along. Maybe he is suspicious of the additives the treatment plant will use, or maybe he prefers his water's taste. Whatever the reason, his choice is no one else's concern. He will not get to hook up to the treated water once the project is finished without paying (just as everyone else did), but if he chooses to rely on his old water source, he is perfectly free to do so.
If my daughter decides not to eat brussels sprouts, she votes with her actions to not do so. I have no right to hold her down and force my will that she eats brussels sprouts, not even if I get her mother to agree to vote with me.
A dog will vote to eat his food or not, or to nap on the porch or under a shade tree.
Everyone gets to vote. No one gets to rule by tyranny of the majority. Not even if it is a "good idea". If the idea is that good, convince everyone to go along.
The clearest description of legitimate voting is through the illustration of the "pizzacracy". You vote for what you want, and if the results are not to your liking you opt out and are not obligated to pay. You are then free to arrange your own group that is more to your liking. Everything is done by unanimous consent.
Voting (and "politics" in general) was a terrible way to "run" a society, and my life is better off without that destructive mythology imposing itself on me and violating my liberty.
Anyway, I vote that it is time to go eat. Adios!
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