On many PoS networks, the tokens you stake or delegate simultaneously grant you (or your validator, on your behalf) voting power in on-chain governance — decisions about protocol upgrades, parameter changes, or treasury spending. Cosmos SDK chains, Tezos, and Polkadot all tie staking closely to governance participation.
Algorand takes a related but distinct approach: ALGO holders commit tokens to a governance period (without a traditional lockup) specifically to vote on proposals and earn governance rewards, blurring the line between 'staking' and 'voting' entirely.
This overlap matters strategically: your validator's votes on governance proposals may not match your own preferences unless the chain lets you override or 'redelegate' your voting weight independently of your staking delegation. It's worth checking whether a network separates these two roles before assuming your staked tokens vote the way you'd want.