What threw me off was the announcement in the XP box that I had x number of votes-- I assumed I wouldn't have gotten that message until the Vote fairy had slipped them under my pillow.

Your assumption is correct, so I guess you are still confused. If the XP Nodelet says you have votes, it means that you have votes (and so should see voting buttons).

Perhaps the XP Nodelet told you that you had reached a new level and so had new powers and you followed the link provided and got confused since you couldn't yet use this new power. I see that Level 2: Novice ends with a link to I just became a Novice; Why can't I vote yet?, so I don't see much to improve there. (: