Organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest are proposing major rule changes to discourage voting campaigns that aim to influence the results of the competition. In a letter sent to participating broadcasters, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) suggested moving the vote entirely online and forcing the public to select their top three acts, rather than allowing them to cast multiple votes for a single contestant.
Under the current system, viewers can vote up to 10 times for their favourite act by phone, text message, or online. The EBU stated that politically motivated voting has become “persistent” and is seen by many as “deeply worrying.” The voting rules have been under significant scrutiny since the Israeli government encouraged fans to register multiple votes for the country’s contestant in 2025.
During that contest, Yuval Raphael’s song, “New Day Will Rise,” placed 15th with the contest’s juries, but outperformed every other participant in the public vote by scoring 297 points. In the end, Raphael finished as the overall runner-up. A number of broadcasters subsequently queried how Israel placed so highly, pointing to the fact that official social media accounts linked to Israel’s government, including that of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had asked people to vote for Raphael 20 times, the maximum allowed at the time.
There were allegations that a co-ordinated voting campaign boosted the results of Israel’s 2025 contestant. In response, the EBU changed the rules for 2026, reducing the maximum number of votes to 10. However, the organisation was forced to issue a formal warning to Israeli broadcaster Kan in the lead-up to the competition after its contestant released videos instructing fans to “vote 10 times for Israel.” Eurovision said it believed the posts were not in the spirit of the competition and ordered their removal.
The latest proposals would end the ability to cast multiple votes for the same country, although dedicated fans could still potentially register for additional accounts with different payment methods. “We believe that these changes will help dilute the effect of a mobilised block vote, without compromising fairness or trust,” according to the letter, which was first reported by the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.
In a statement to, the EBU confirmed it has begun investigating a move to wholly online audience voting, with more details to be announced in the coming months. In the letter, the EBU acknowledged that the current voting system was affecting fans’ perception of the contest. It noted that even without major paid campaigns, the current geopolitical climate is driving votes for certain artists for reasons that have little to do with their performances.
“This is nothing new in Eurovision’s history – we have seen it happen before – but this time it is persistent, and for many it is deeply worrying,” the letter stated. The document was signed by EBU chief executive Jean Philip De Tender and Eurovision Reference Group chair Ana Maria Bordas. They noted that the rationale for moving voting online is the technical difficulty of requiring fans to vote for multiple acts via text message or phone.
The UK has already transitioned to online-only voting, starting with this year’s contest. Separately, the EBU revealed that Israeli cosmetics company Moroccan Oil had ended its sponsorship of Eurovision after six years. No reason was given for the end of the partnership, which saw the haircare brand supplying professional hairstylists and hair products to participating artists. However, the sponsorship had come under criticism in recent years amid wider protests over Israel’s presence in the contest during the war in Gaza.
The news comes amid a flurry of developments for the 70-year-old contest. Earlier this week, organisers announced that broadcasters will no longer be eligible to host the event if their state is involved in an “armed conflict” or “sensitive geopolitical situation.” They also raised the minimum age for participating singers from 16 to 18 and introduced stricter rules around the use of pre-recorded vocals.
Separately, it was announced on Thursday that the Bulgarian coastal town of Burgas will host the 2027 contest. The country won the right to stage the competition after its entrant, Dara, won both the jury and public vote for her club anthem, “Bangaranga,” at this year’s event. The 71st edition of the competition will take place from 12 to 15 May, 2027.
Bulgarian singer Dara won this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, after topping both the public and the jury vote. Her victory has now paved the way for the event to move to the Black Sea coast, marking a significant milestone for the nation’s participation in the long-running musical competition.
These proposed changes represent a pivotal moment for the EBU as it attempts to balance the contest’s tradition of public participation with the modern challenges of digital campaigning and geopolitical tension. The organisation remains committed to ensuring that the competition remains a celebration of music rather than a platform for political mobilisation.
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