We'll probably get killed for saying this publicly, but I agree with you.
I won't bash sprites, so I'm keeping quiet here.
About the artists voting thing, it sounds fair at first, but then you'll remember that everyone is going to use the sprite, so it's only correct to let them vote.
Some people may like the more out-of-line sprites -- opinions can be weird, too bad we don't have a say over it.
Let's just hope for a more supportive community in the poll next time. Cheers. *clinks glass*