The contest isn't necessarily linked to the MN, it can run as a standalone and was originally intended to be so. Contest attracts more publicity for the MN and OC, so it only made sense to marry the two ideas. You'll see how it comes together in its entirety.
Votes increased by ~30% and that is great news! If you were looking for an update, sorry to burst your bubble, haha.
Maybe we should wait for the wallet fix where it gets stuck before we launch any kind of contest. This way anyone new the coin can get started without seeing a broken wallet.