Eurovision organizers are proposing to change the voting rules for viewers
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is proposing significant changes to the rules for viewer voting in the Eurovision Song Contest. Specifically, the organizers want to move voting entirely online and limit the number of performers a single viewer can vote for.
Under the current rules, viewers can vote up to 10 times for a single contestant by phone, text message, or online.
The EBU has proposed that broadcasters from participating countries move public voting entirely online. Additionally, viewers will be able to select only their top three performers, rather than casting multiple votes for a single artist.
The EBU explains the need for these changes by stating that “politically motivated voting has become a persistent phenomenon, which is a source of deep concern for many.”
The Eurovision voting rules came under particular scrutiny after the 2025 contest, when the Israeli government encouraged supporters to vote for the country’s representative, Yuval Rafael.
Her song “New Day Will Rise” placed only 15th according to the jury’s vote. At the same time, in the public vote, Rafael received 297 points—the highest score among all participants.
As a result, the Israeli singer took second place at Eurovision.
A number of broadcasters noted that official social media accounts linked to the Israeli government—including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s page—had urged users to vote for Rafael the maximum number of times allowed: 20.
Following this, the EBU reduced the maximum number of votes per viewer to 10 in the rules for Eurovision 2026.
In addition, on the eve of last year’s Eurovision, the contest organizers officially warned the Israeli broadcaster KAN after one of its representatives posted a video urging supporters to “vote 10 times for Israel.”
The EBU’s new proposal calls for an even more significant restriction on the impact of mass voting for a single contestant. The final decision on the changes is to be made by the broadcasters of the participating countries.
This was reported by the BBC.
Earlier, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the Eurovision Song Contest, announced new rules for the contest. Under these rules, the winning broadcaster will automatically be ineligible to host the next contest if an armed conflict, a sensitive geopolitical situation, or other circumstances significantly affect the security or stability of its country or the surrounding region.
The “Eurovision 2027” Song Contest will take place in the Bulgarian city of Burgas on the Black Sea coast. According to BBC News, the contest will run from May 12 to May 15, with the grand final scheduled for May 15.
