Well at least allow powerful empires some persuasion methods. Say, I know somebody else got the council leader job. I station two hundred units next to the Amurite border. Then I contact the Amurites and ask them to vote the same way I do, or else... Then the game calculates some numbers and decides whether Amurites have any backbone or not. When the council leader comes up with a ridiculous proposition of banning entropy mana and I say 'no', Amurites say 'no' as well. Or perhaps you could buy their votes.
