I recently jumped in and tried the vote buying too. I didn't lose nearly as much as you (I didn't have as much to lose) but I still found myself losing. I might still do it occasionally just as a gambling thrill, but it's definitely not the way to make your way here.
Haha well I'm glad that at least you didn't lose as much as me! It's a tricky one for sure, for me it's a no go but fair enough if it floats your boat!