Let's have a thought experiment for a moment and imagine yourself in the shoes of the slave.
You are a slave. You are under the control of a brutal master who treats you like property. You do his bidding, you work all hours, he beats you without remorse.
The master has softened and treats you more kindly. Rather than beating you indiscriminately, it is only for violations of the rules he has laid out. You also enjoy a bit of free time.
The master has a group of 10,000 slaves and allocates goods to them based on their need and merit.
The master now gives you four days off provided you work three days a week for him. All the other time is left to you and the other slaves.
The master allows his slaves to go off and work in the city (or anywhere they wish) for wages. He requires only that they send back to him three-sevenths of their wages. He also retains the power to conscript them if some emergency or threat arises; and to raise or lower the three-sevenths amount required to be turned over to him. He further retains the right to restrict the slaves from participating in activities he deems dangerous that could threaten his financial future.
The master allows all of his 10,000 slaves, except you, to vote, and the joint decision is made by all of them. There is open discussion, and so forth, among them, and they have the power to determine to what uses to put whatever percentage of your (and their) earnings they decide to take; what activities legitimately may be forbidden to you, and so on.
Although you can't vote, you can try to persuade the 10,000 to adopt various policies and to treat you and themselves in a certain way. They then go to vote on their powers.
Now the 10,000 allow you to vote in case of a tie. You contribute to the debate and cast your ballot secretly, only to be revealed if they are split 50/50. A tie has actually never occurred.
You're now one of the 10,000. Your vote only makes a difference if there is a tie, otherwise, the majority rules over whatever issue is at hand.
At which step between 1 and 9 are you no longer a slave?
