'American Idol' changed its voting system and fans have some serious questions: 'I wonder if...'
ABC's 'American Idol' Season 23 will not only be best remembered for being Carrie Underwood's debut season as a judge, but also for a huge voting change for selecting the top 12. With Josh King being the latest to exit the show, the race to reach the top is heating up. To add more drama to the competition, the new voting system is also grabbing major headlines, with fans even questioning the fairness of this new method.
On Sunday, April 27, 'American Idol' Season 23 aired a live show featuring a major announcement and a significant voting change. The episode, themed around Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees and mentored by James Taylor, included host Ryan Seacrest revealing the 2025 class of Hall of Fame inductees, which is a tradition he began the previous year with help from Lionel Richie, as per The Things. The biggest twist, however, was a change in voting, as for the first time, live voting occurred during the episode itself, giving viewers less than two hours (from 5:00 to 6:50 PM PST) to vote.
The contestants also took it upon themselves to ask for votes. Thunderstorm Artis emphasized this in his social media post, alerting his followers as he posted a photo with the caption, "This Sunday AND Monday they are eliminating 2 people per day. So a total of 4 people." His post highlighted both the urgency and the high-pressure nature of this new format. Gabby Samone also joined in to rally her fans, writing, "We’re going LIVE coast-to-coast for the first time ever, so remember those votes early as soon as the show starts if you want to see me in the #TOP12!"
View this post on Instagram
Notably, this is also the first time this season the judges have had the power to save one contestant from elimination. Fans can also vote in three ways: the first being through the ABC website or the 'American Idol' app (both of which require a sign-in via a MyDisney account) or by texting a contestant’s unique number to 21523, as per Entertainment Now. Each method allows up to 10 votes per contestant, totaling 30 votes across platforms. Votes can be changed during the episode if saved before the deadline, and viewers are encouraged to vote early, which is even before performances begin.
However, it looks like fans are not thrilled with this new voting system, as many shared their opinions under a Reddit post. A fan said, "Yes you’re 100% right. I remember a few years ago before anyone had performed, Ryan said something like “And kudos to you! We already have had 14 million votes have come in!” And I’m thinking… that’s really not a good thing lol," while another added, "My friend’s daughter Mattie is on there. It’s totally unfair to the last person singing that the voting closes right after they sing. I really hope Mattie makes it through!!! I grew up with my grandparents living next door to Ellie's parents (Ellie is Mattie's stepmom)".
A viewer remarked, "It's a popularity contest more than anything." Another said, "I've lost interest the past few seasons as soon as they go live for this reason. I can never watch until the next day on streaming so it doesn't matter anyway," while another added, "Yes, this show sure isn't what it used to be." A viewer also questioned the credibility of the show, saying, "I honestly wonder if voting actually does anything at all?"