If you would not have seen this pattern you most likely didn't ask about, so I'm pretty sure that there is an issue. I personally won't coin it unfair but I can understand what you mean here.
Upvoting requires active users on a site. Active in the sense not just stumbling over one question and picking it up with the thought "thanks", but at least having an account and doing the upvote on answer and question when found useful (the thought "thanks").
I joined WPSE early while it was still in beta. For me it was a relief to have this site as it allowed a new green field for development and administrative interchange with other Wordpress developers and active users. The start of this Q&A website worked very well. We had the momentum and therefore we had said active users.
Now even Wordpress is quite popular, it's not that you have many of us professionally working with it. Please take this sentence with a pinch of salt. I don't want to bash Wordpress users here, but what I remember from my more active time, you don't have so many users who are sharing their experiences on a more professional level, that is, to keep the flow back into the communities and back into the project (IIRC there are many reasons for that and even so this is partly wanted, so you can't blame all users here, it's more that I'm saying, this is no direct criticism).
The Wordpress SE site is one of the venues where this actually worked. And I think it still does. The platform is great - but requires voting ;)
So I think it's important to get some peers that have an interest on their own for a good Q&A site about Wordpress development and invite them to get a start here. Or as a regular, to pick up existing Q&A material and garden it a little. You won't get that many upvotes for that but a site that is working well and in your favour.
Because some truth is this: Every SE site is not only a Q&A site but also a browser game. Some actions are getting the "gummipunkte" (as we say in german): the hot air. I have many points on WPSE site for example because I started early and was active on the site back then. This is sort of unfair to users who have started later. It is. And sure it's easy for me to say now, those reputation is only hot air. But actually and honestly for the WPSE site for me the reputation was never that important. When the site started it just was a relief to have it. We were pushing our selves for the greater good by trying to give the best answers in the field. And we had a quite prominent user-base on site, you can still find the best answers here. What I'm trying to say is: Upvotes are fun, but they don't show the whole picture. They should add to your motivation but they shouldn't be the sole base of your motivation.
Even on the main site I don't rep-whore so much any longer but instead close against duplicates mostly and edit existing material. From time to time I answer questions as I wanna do some code-kata or learn something new / get fluent with and I can't resist always the shiny reputation points, but mostly those are actions you don't get reputation for.
So ironically: a good Q&A site has all the necessary but relatively little questions. You can't spread so much reputation then. A bad Q&A site has these many "not working - help help help" or "what code do I need to do X" questions that give reputation to those who answer but you most likely don't want this air around. Sometimes it's even again one of those "oh so wrong other" answer that needs a better answer given alternatively :)
As this site is by it's users, it's you and me and all of us who make a difference here daily.
And if you're looking for upvotes: Most often you get easy upvotes for asking a question if it's a good one. And perhaps you can answer you own question? Other users show some interest into good questions as well because they think: Hmm, that's something I've asked myself already as well and it would be great to have an/some answer(s) for it here.
Get the content on site you want to see here. This will make it your place and then it's not that much the reputation any longer.
