Hmm, good suggestion but I prefer to see it as an option rather than an obligatory feature, my worries is to see the opposite from some eccentric users putting unrealistic high merit requirement to allow users participating in the poll. Better to have a predefined and logical min-max points..
Next thing min +10 merit to open self-moderated topic maybe.
Edit :
I thought the farmers were the ones with all the merits.
+1 so you can keep fighting them by giving flowers to the right people