What about the initiatives (not sure if directly affiliated with Steemit) like Steem voter or message boards where people openly trade votes? Doesn't that effect the way votes get distributed?
I also need a favor from you to look at this article that I talked about NUMBER ONE change we need on Steemit to keep it relevant in the long run. Your feedback is highly appreciated!
Yes using voting services to autovote does affect voting. If those people weren't autovoting, less people would be voting I guess hehe. steemvoter uses one vote each day from all the people who use it's service, awarding itself a large reward with the votes of others.