Dancing with the Stars voting gives fans across the United States a direct way to support their favorite celebrity and professional dancer couples during Season 35. The latest update is that voting takes place during the live competition, with eligible viewers able to submit votes online or by text message. On October 27, 2026, the show featured Horror Movie Night, and the voting window was tied to that evening’s live broadcast.
Fans need to act within the designated voting period because votes are not accepted after the window closes. Each eligible voter can submit up to 10 votes per couple through each available voting method, subject to the official rules. The audience vote combines with the judges’ scores to help determine which couples remain in the competition.
Understanding the voting schedule, eligibility requirements, and submission process can help viewers make sure their choices count. Here is what fans need to know about voting for Season 35, including online instructions, text voting, deadlines, and common mistakes to avoid.
What Is the Current Status of Dancing with the Stars Voting?
The official voting platform indicates that voting closes after the designated live voting window ends. Fans cannot submit votes whenever they want throughout the week. They must participate during the time announced for the live episode.
Season 35 airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern and 7 p.m. Central on ABC and Disney+. Voting generally opens when the live broadcast begins and closes shortly after the final competitive dance. ABC may announce special scheduling arrangements for particular episodes, so viewers should check the current voting page and broadcast announcements.
The October 27 episode featured Horror Movie Night. The week’s voting period was especially important because the competition included a planned double elimination, making audience participation a significant part of the results.
Viewers watching on the West Coast should pay particular attention to the live voting window. They do not have to wait until the program airs in their local evening time slot to vote. Eligible online voters can participate during the designated live period, regardless of their time zone within the permitted locations.
How to Vote for Dancing with the Stars Online
Online voting is one of the easiest ways for eligible fans to support their favorite couples. ABC operates the official voting platform, where viewers can select contestants and allocate votes during the permitted window.
Follow these steps to cast your votes:
- Open the official Dancing with the Stars voting website at dwtsvote.abc.com.
- Sign in to your account or complete the required registration process.
- Review the available celebrity and professional dancer pairings.
- Select your favorite couple and assign the votes you want to give them.
- Distribute votes among multiple couples if you want to support more than one contestant.
- Click the Save Votes button to submit your selections.
- If you change your mind before voting closes, update your selections and save them again.
The final step is particularly important. Selecting a couple or entering a number of votes does not necessarily mean your choices have been submitted. The official platform instructs viewers to save their votes.
Online voting also allows fans to change their selections while the voting window remains open. Once the deadline passes, viewers cannot revise their votes for that episode.
The voting platform displays the current contestants and their available vote limits. Fans should rely on that information rather than using old contestant lists or instructions from previous seasons.
How to Vote for Dancing with the Stars by Text
Text messaging provides another option for eligible viewers who prefer voting from their phones. This method is useful for fans who want to participate without navigating the online voting page.
To cast a text vote, follow these steps:
- Watch the live episode of Dancing with the Stars.
- Look for the official voting keyword assigned to your favorite celebrity.
- Open your phone’s messaging application.
- Enter the contestant’s designated keyword.
- Send the message to 21523 during the active voting window.
- Follow any confirmation or voting-limit instructions you receive.
The voting keyword identifies the celebrity you want to support. Viewers should use the exact keyword provided during the current broadcast rather than guessing a name or relying on an old text message.
Text voting has a significant difference from online voting: text votes cannot be changed after submission. Fans should double-check their selection before sending a message.
Standard messaging and data charges may apply, depending on the wireless plan. Text voting is available only through participating U.S. wireless carriers and is not available to Canadian viewers.
Fans should also remember that the rules and keywords displayed for one episode may not apply to another. Always check the current instructions before submitting a vote.
How Many Votes Can You Cast on Dancing with the Stars?
The official voting system permits up to 10 online votes per couple during an eligible voting period. Eligible viewers can also submit up to 10 text votes per couple.
Using both methods can therefore provide up to 20 votes for the same couple, provided the viewer meets the eligibility requirements for each method and follows the applicable rules.
| Voting method | Maximum votes per couple |
|---|---|
| Online voting | 10 |
| Text-message voting | 10 |
| Combined total using both methods | 20 |
These limits apply to each eligible couple, not just to the entire episode. Viewers can distribute their votes among several participating pairs instead of giving all their available votes to one favorite.
For example, a fan may allocate online votes to one couple while supporting another through text messaging. The available options depend on the voting interface and the official rules for that episode.
The online system allows changes before the deadline, but viewers must save any updated selections. Text messages, by contrast, cannot be withdrawn or reassigned after submission.
The maximum number of votes does not guarantee that a couple will remain in the competition. Judges’ scores and audience voting both contribute to the results.
Who Is Eligible to Vote?
Dancing with the Stars voting has specific eligibility requirements that viewers must satisfy before participating.
For online voting, eligible fans must be at least 18 years old and physically located in the United States, its territories, or Canada.
Text voting has narrower geographic restrictions. Participants must be in the United States or its territories and use a participating U.S. wireless carrier. Canadian viewers cannot vote through the text-message option.
The main requirements are:
- Minimum age: 18 years old.
- Online voting locations: United States, U.S. territories, and Canada.
- Text voting locations: United States and its territories.
- Text voting access: A participating U.S. wireless carrier.
- Voting deadline: The designated live voting window.
- Account access: Online voters must complete the platform’s applicable sign-in or registration requirements.
A Disney+ subscription is not required simply to cast an eligible online vote. Viewers should nevertheless follow the official platform’s registration and verification instructions.
Being able to watch an episode does not automatically make someone eligible to vote. Geographic restrictions and the minimum age requirement still apply.
Fans who are unsure about their eligibility should review the official voting FAQs before submitting their selections.
When Does Dancing with the Stars Voting Open and Close?
Timing is one of the most important parts of the voting process. Unlike a public poll that remains available for several days, the show’s official voting period is tied to its live broadcast.
During the regular Season 35 schedule, Dancing with the Stars airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern and 7 p.m. Central on ABC and Disney+.
Voting generally opens when the live show begins. It closes shortly after the final competitive dance, with the exact deadline determined by the broadcast and official voting instructions.
The window is relatively short, so fans should prepare before the episode begins.
A useful approach is to:
- Decide which couples you want to support before the final dances.
- Sign in to the voting platform early.
- Check the available vote limits.
- Submit online votes and save the selections.
- Send text votes before the deadline if using that method.
- Watch for any changes announced by the hosts or voting platform.
West Coast viewers should pay particular attention to the schedule. The voting period follows the designated live broadcast, not necessarily the time the episode airs locally.
For example, a viewer watching a delayed West Coast broadcast may discover that voting has already closed. Waiting for an on-demand episode is also not a way to submit votes after the official window.
Can You Vote After the Live Episode Ends?
No. Once the official voting window closes, fans cannot submit additional votes for that episode.
Watching a replay or streaming the episode later does not reopen voting. The same restriction applies to viewers who missed the live performance but want to support a couple after learning how the dances went.
The official voting platform displays a closed-voting message when the current period ends. As of the latest verified update on October 28, the voting window associated with the October 27 episode has closed.
Fans should check the official platform when the next live episode approaches for the next opening time and current contestant list.
Planning ahead is particularly useful during themed episodes, special broadcasts, and weeks with unusual elimination arrangements. These events can create additional urgency, but the official deadline remains the deciding factor.
How Dancing with the Stars Voting Affects Eliminations
Audience participation plays a central role in the competition. Judges evaluate the celebrities’ performances, while viewers use their votes to support the couples they want to see continue.
The results combine judges’ scores and audience votes to determine which contestants are at risk and which couples advance. A strong performance can improve a contestant’s standing, but it does not eliminate the importance of fan support.
Likewise, a couple with a devoted audience may receive substantial support even when its judges’ scores are lower than those of competing pairs.
Season 35’s October 20 Dedication Night ended without an elimination. The hosts announced that the judges’ scores and audience votes from that episode would carry over to Horror Movie Night on October 27.
The following episode was scheduled to feature a double elimination, with two couples leaving the competition. That arrangement made the voting period especially important because the results involved performances and votes from the two-week sequence.
The exact calculation for a special elimination format should not be assumed unless the show confirms it. Fans should distinguish announced voting rules from speculation about how individual couples will rank.
Ultimately, voting gives viewers a meaningful way to influence the competition, but it does not allow them to determine the outcome independently of the judges’ scores.
Common Dancing with the Stars Voting Mistakes to Avoid
Even enthusiastic fans can miss the voting deadline or submit their selections incorrectly. A few simple precautions can help prevent common problems.
Forgetting to save online votes: Entering selections is not enough. Click the Save Votes button and follow any confirmation instructions.
Waiting until the final moment: The voting window closes shortly after the final competitive dance. Submit votes early enough to avoid last-minute issues.
Using an outdated text keyword: Contestant keywords may vary by episode. Check the current broadcast instructions before sending a message.
Trying to vote from an ineligible location: Online and text voting have different geographic requirements. Make sure the chosen method is available where you are physically located.
Exceeding the voting limit: The maximum is 10 votes per couple through each method. Additional submissions beyond the permitted limit will not increase the valid total.
Assuming text votes can be changed: Unlike online selections, submitted text votes cannot be revised. Check the recipient keyword before sending your message.
Watching a replay instead of the live window: Delayed viewing does not extend the official voting deadline. Fans should plan around the live schedule.
Relying on unofficial polls: Fan polls on social media can be entertaining, but they do not replace votes submitted through the official voting system.
Avoiding these mistakes can make the process easier and help ensure that eligible votes are submitted according to the show’s rules.
Final Thoughts
Dancing with the Stars voting remains one of the most direct ways for fans to support their favorite performers throughout Season 35. By understanding the online and text-message options, checking eligibility, and submitting votes before the deadline, viewers can participate without missing the opportunity to make their voices heard.
The most important rule is simple: use the official voting platform, follow the current instructions, and vote during the live window. With each episode bringing new performances and elimination decisions, audience support continues to be an important part of the competition.
Who is your favorite Dancing with the Stars couple this season? Share your pick in the comments and stay tuned for the latest voting updates.