This could be for the same reason as the contests but I don't know this. I know that posts that WOX have recommended before have been looked at with some voted and some not. It could also be linked to the author's club status but I really don't know.

This comes down to the reputation of the community. As we have all seen that the wox community have strived and built a brand for themselves, it is easier to vote on the selctions that they make.

It's certainly possible - although given what happened last time, I expect the Steemit team to look for different ways that will be less prone to the inevitable scammers.

This time round I don't know what happened the last time. Do you care to tell me😂😂