In a preference utilitarian calculus it does matter which possible preferences actually exist and which don’t. We don’t count hypothetical votes in an election either.
Whether you count the hypothetical votes or not, doesn’t address the question of what those votes say. I’m objecting to the claim that the votes are saying nothing, not necessarily to the claim that they are to be ignored.
In a preference utilitarian calculus it does matter which possible preferences actually exist and which don’t. We don’t count hypothetical votes in an election either.
Whether you count the hypothetical votes or not, doesn’t address the question of what those votes say. I’m objecting to the claim that the votes are saying nothing, not necessarily to the claim that they are to be ignored.