The game devs can do whatever the hell they want. It's their decision, it's their game, it's their company. Be glad they allow us as much interaction as they do. If everyone gets so worked up every time they do something like this for us they may not continue in the future. This game is totally not dependent upon a community council, so overall most concerns are invalid. If the devs are satisfied with how they handled it, and who they let vote, I'm happy with it.
I do have a purchased game but I just got it recently, long after I started paying attention to the forums, and long after I started messing around with the game. I'm happy that they allow non-paid accounts to participate. I agree with waiting until a game is finished to pay for it, and I had intended to do so here. I just happened to really like some of what they are doing and decided to give that extra support. If I had not, I appreciate the fact that I might have still participated and wouldn't want to deny others the same if the devs wish it to be as it is.