Getting away with
VOTE EXPLOITATION
Please keep in mind that this may not work on every server, and it also may not always be 100% foolproof. I have been very close to the GMs on a particular realm in the Eternion-wow server, and have found that suspected vote exploiters (or abusers) are getting away with the following alibis:
1. "I'm new, and a nice (man / lady / girl / etc.) gave me these items for free because I did ask for help in the (global channel / world channel / officer chat).
To use the above alibi, normally you are required to provide the name of the player who gave you the items. If you do not know the name, you may be banned. So, when you vote abuse, get another account / character set up, so if you get caught - you can rat them out. Be sure that you have registered / played the accounts on DIFFERENT IPs.
2. "My friend helped me farm this gear in (area - for eternion it's Deadmines)."
This is not preferred, but you can use this alibi. You'd need to have a well-geared friend (preferably a donor, as artifact-geared players cannot usually kill a Deadmines mob). You'd also need to know which mob dropped the gear. The list of eternion Deadmines mobs and which set they drop can be found here.
Almost any other alibi will get you instantly banned. Personally, I prefer to use the first alibi. Good luck!