I wish the voting was not part of the show. Seems to make it more of a popularity contest rather than a display of mastering a skill.
Yes, like most Elections recently.
The advertisers pay for 'hits' (like on websites). The VOTES are HITS.
If people didn't have the investment of a 'vote', they might not continue watching.
That is the point of having the public vote.
AND, the Producer/Director/Judges make the final determination of who should CONTINUE, not your votes.