The rational part of me wants to address the member engagement disconnect by loosening the election rules a fraction to allow, for example, one thread per forum maximum to discuss forum specific topics as they relate to past or pending TB votes. That of course still won't prevent those who aren't interested from ignoring even that sticky.
FWIW I wouldn't want to see us relax the electioneering/campaigning rules so much that it disrupts the individual forum for months on end though that's merely MHO.