Eurovision organizers have proposed new voting rules aimed at reducing the impact of organized political campaigns seeking to influence results.
Under the current system, viewers can vote up to 10 times for their preferred contestant by phone call, text message or online, the BBC reports.
In a letter sent to participating broadcasters, the European Broadcasting Union reportedly proposed moving voting entirely online and requiring viewers to select their three favorite contestants instead of allowing multiple votes for a single entry.
The EBU said politically motivated voting had become “persistent” and was perceived by many as “deeply concerning.” Voting rules came under scrutiny after the Israeli government urged fans in 2025 to vote multiple times for the country’s contestant.
Yuval Raphael’s song “New Day Will Rise” placed 15th in the jury vote but topped the public vote with 297 points. Raphael consequently finished second overall.
Several broadcasters subsequently questioned how Israel had managed to achieve such a high result. They pointed out that official social media accounts linked to the Israeli government, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s account, had urged people to vote for Raphael 20 times — the maximum then permitted. In response, the EBU changed the rules for 2026, reducing the maximum number of votes to 10.
Nevertheless, ahead of the contest, the EBU was forced to issue a formal warning to Israeli broadcaster Kan after the country’s contestant posted videos urging fans to “vote 10 times for Israel.”
Eurovision said the posts were not in keeping with the “spirit of the contest” and demanded their removal.
Under the new proposals, it would no longer be possible to cast multiple votes for the same country. However, particularly dedicated fans could technically still register additional accounts using different payment methods.
“We believe these changes… will help reduce the impact of organized bloc voting without compromising fairness or trust,” the letter said. Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet first reported on the letter.
The EBU said: “We can confirm that we have started exploring the possibility of making the Eurovision Song Contest public vote fully online, with further details to be announced in the coming months.”
In the letter, the EBU acknowledged that the current voting system was already affecting fans’ perceptions of the contest.
“Even without major paid campaigns and with a voting system whose integrity we can guarantee, it has become clear that today’s geopolitical situation is directing votes toward some artists for reasons that have very little to do with their performances. This is not new in Eurovision’s history; we have seen it before, but this time it is persistent and deeply concerning to many.
“Our review points to two changes: moving the public vote entirely online and requiring people to vote for more than one contestant, for example, their three favorites,” said the letter, signed by EBU Director General Jean Philip De Tender and Eurovision Song Contest Reference Group Chair Ana Maria Bordas.
The rationale for moving voting online is linked to the technical difficulties of requiring viewers to vote for several contestants through text messages or phone calls.
The United Kingdom has already switched entirely to online voting, beginning with this year’s contest.
In a separate development, the EBU said Israeli cosmetics company Moroccanoil had ended its Eurovision sponsorship after six years.
No reason was given for ending the partnership. During the collaboration, the haircare brand provided contestants with professional hairstylists and haircare products. However, the sponsorship had faced criticism in recent years amid broader protests against Israel’s participation in Eurovision during the war in Gaza.
The news follows several other changes concerning the 70-year-old contest.
Earlier this week, organizers announced that broadcasters would no longer be eligible to host the contest if their country was involved in an “armed conflict” or a “sensitive geopolitical situation.”
Organizers also raised the minimum age for participating singers from 16 to 18 and tightened rules on the use of pre-recorded vocals in the contest.
Separately, it was announced that the Bulgarian coastal city of Burgas will host the 2027 contest.
Bulgaria secured hosting rights after its representative Dara won both the jury and public votes at this year’s contest with her club track “Bangaranga.”
The 71st edition of the contest will take place on May 12-15, 2027.
