Query DB once ("Good")

local DATA = {}

local function LoadVotePoints() -- Use on startup or on reload
    local Q = WorldDBQuery("SELECT accID, vp FROM votepoints")
    if(Q) then
        repeat
            local accID = Q:GetColumn(0):GetULong()
            local vp = Q:GetColumn(1):GetULong()
            DATA[accID] = vp -- Save vp for the account ID to DATA table (on startup)
        until not Q:NextRow()
    end
end

local function GetVotePoints(player) -- Returns player's vote points or 0
    return DATA[player:GetAccountId()] or 0 -- No DB query
end

local function UpdateVotePoints(player, change) -- Updates player's vote points with the change (IE -5)
    if ((change or 0) == 0) then
        return -- change was nothing, dont do anything
    end
    local accID = player:GetAccountId()
    local newvp = GetVotePoints(player) + change
    if (newvp <= 0) then
        WorldDBQuery("DELETE FROM votepoints WHERE accID = "..accID) -- Remove from DB if vp is 0
        DATA[accID] = nil -- Remove from the lua table
    else
        WorldDBQuery("REPLACE INTO votepoints (accID, vp) VALUES ("..accID..", "..newvp..")") -- update / create new data to DB
        DATA[accID] = newvp -- update / create new data to lua table
    end
end

-- any code here that uses GetVotePoints(player) to get the vote points and/or UpdateVotePoints(player, change)

LoadVotePoints() -- load data from DB on startup to DATA table