Merit system has nothing to do with these members applying for signature campaigns without being eligible. This happened before the merit system as well. Another reason I can think of this is that some members might be feeling that their lack of requirement might get overlooked by the campaign manager. They need to understand that these managers are being paid for the experience they bring to the process. In one of the comments someone mentioned that it can be because sometimes the requirements are relaxed seeing the posting history. This should not be done if we want to put an end to the practice OP is highlighting.