People sometimes mistakenly think of consensus as though it were something akin to democracy, or voting.  But there are some crucial distinctions between those concepts.  Voting is effectively an act of asking for permission.  Your government permit you a specific date and present you with some options to choose from.  Whatever the outcome of that vote, you are compelled to abide by it, even if you didn't like any of the options presented to you.  The only alternatives open to you if you disagree with the outcome are campaigning for reform, leaving the region, or resorting to civil unrest and overthrowing the government.  However, these all take considerable effort. 

With consensus, however, it's more of an opt-in.  People take part by choice.  The software you run enforces the protocol rules you are willing to adhere to.  You aren't asking permission from anyone, you are simply manifesting your will and enforcing rules.  The consensus mechanism will then match you with others who agree with those same rules and you will build a network together.  The larger the number of people in agreement, the stronger the network is and the more utility it generates.  There is nothing mandating you to stay if you ever decide you no longer agree with the rules everyone else is enforcing.  You can even take part in multiple networks, each with different rules.  Or even create one of your very own.  You are effectively free to do anything, providing you can find a sufficient number of participants to build a functioning network with.