The voting process for "Dancing with the Stars" works as follows:
- Viewers can vote for their favorite dance couples after the live performances during the designated voting period.
- Voting methods include phone calls, online voting through the official DWTS website or ABC app, and sometimes social media voting with specific hashtags.
- For the current seasons, text voting is done by texting a designated keyword for each couple to the number 21523.
- Each voter can cast up to 10 votes per voting method per couple (for example, 10 votes online and 10 votes by text per couple).
- Votes are counted only during the voting window which typically opens when the live show begins and closes during the last commercial break after all couples have danced.
- Votes are combined with judges' scores (usually in a 50/50 ratio) to determine which couples are at risk of elimination.
- Voting is open to viewers who are 18 or older and residing in the U.S., its territories, or Canada.
- For online voting, creating an account and email verification may be required, while text voting does not require an account but may have message/data rates applied.
Overall, the results of the combined judges' scores and audience votes each week decide which couples stay or leave the competition.
