The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has unveiled significant revisions to the Eurovision Song Contest's voting mechanism for the 2026 edition, designed to bolster fairness and audience participation. Under the new rules, viewers are restricted to a maximum of ten votes per payment method, halving the previous limit. For the first time, fans in the United Kingdom must cast their votes exclusively online through the EBU's centralised platform, esc.vote, marking a departure from traditional phone and SMS voting.
How Voting Works
Public votes now constitute 50 percent of each nation's total score, with the remaining half determined by professional juries. This balance aims to blend popular opinion with expert evaluation.
New Measures Against Campaigning
The EBU has implemented fresh guidelines to curb "disproportionate promotion campaigns," particularly those backed by third parties or governments, following reported irregularities during the 2025 contest. National juries have been expanded from five to seven members, now encompassing a wider array of professional backgrounds, including music journalists and educators. Additionally, at least two jurors must be aged between 18 and 25, ensuring younger perspectives are represented.
To safeguard the integrity of the voting process, the EBU has strengthened technical measures to detect and prevent fraudulent or coordinated voting activities. These changes aim to preserve the contest's credibility and ensure that results reflect genuine audience and expert preferences.
