Eurovision changes public voting rules after Israel scandal: ‘We’ve listened and we’ve acted’

Fans will now be able to cast only 10 votes each—a decrease from 20 — via online, text, and phone call, among other rule changes.

By Shiryn Ghermezian, The Algemeiner

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the Eurovision Song Contest, is enforcing new rules regarding its public voting ahead of the 2026 Eurovision in Vienna, Austria, following questions about Israel’s success in the competition this year, it announced on Friday.

In the 2025 Eurovision, held in Switzerland in May, Israel’s representative Yuval Raphael won first place in the public vote with her song “New Day Will Rise” and placed second overall in the competition, behind Austria, when the jury scores were counted.

A number of countries — including national broadcasters in Spain, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands — claimed the public vote was rigged in favor of Israel and asked for an audit.

Eurovision Director Martin Green defended the results, saying at the time that the votes were “checked and verified,” and there was “no suspicion of bias or irregularities” in the voting process.

The EBU said on Friday it is now implementing new measures regarding its voting that are “designed to strengthen trust, transparency, and audience engagement.”

“We’ve listened and we’ve acted,” Green said on Friday.

“The neutrality and integrity of the Eurovision Song Contest is of paramount importance to the EBU, its members, and all our audiences. It is essential that the fairness of the contest is always protected. We are taking clear and decisive steps to ensure the contest remains a celebration of music and unity. The contest should remain a neutral space and must not be instrumentalized.”

Fans will now be able to only cast 10 votes each — a decrease from 20 — via online, text, and phone call.

Juries of music experts will also return for the semifinals for the first time since 2022, forming a 50-50 split vote between jury and audience votes at the grand final of the competition.

The number of jurors is increased from five to seven and there will be a greater range in their professional backgrounds.

Jurors will now include music journalists and critics, music teachers, creative professionals, such as choreographers and stage directors, and experienced music industry figures.

Each jury will now include at least two jurors aged 18-25, “to reflect the appeal of the contest with younger audiences.”

All jurors will also be forced to sign a formal declaration confirming that they will vote independently and impartially; not coordinate with other jurors before the contest; and “be mindful of their social media use,” for example by not sharing their preferences online before the contest ends.

One of the jurors of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest admitted that he refused to allocate points to Israeli singer Eden Golan because of his personal bias against Israel.

The EBU’s updates rules also “discourage disproportionate promotion campaigns” by third parties, including governments or governmental agencies.

The EBU is barring its participating broadcasters and artists from “actively” engaging in, facilitating, or contributing to promotional campaigns by third parties “that could influence the voting outcome and, as outlined in the updated Code of Conduct, any attempts to unduly influence the results will lead to sanctions.”

The EBU will strengthen its enforcement of its voting instructions and Code of Conduct to prevent “attempts to unfairly influence the vote.”

“These measures are designed to keep the focus where it belongs — on music, creativity, and connection,” said Green.

“While we are confident the 2025 contest delivered a valid and robust result, these changes will help provide stronger safeguards and increase engagement so fans can be sure that every vote counts and every voice is heard. The Eurovision Song Contest must always remain a place where music takes center stage — and where we continue to stand truly United by Music.”

The EBU said the changes to the voting system were decided upon following an “extensive consultation exercise” with EBU members after the controversy surrounding Israel in the 2025 Eurovision.

The EBU will also be strengthening its enforcement of existing rules “to prevent any misuse of the contest for example through song lyrics or staging.”

In the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, Golan finished in fifth place with a modified song titled “Hurricane.”

The original version was titled “October Rain” and included lyrics that referenced the deadly Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, in southern Israel.

However, it was disqualified by EBU for breaking its rules on political neutrality. Israel was forced to change the song’s title and lyrics.

Several countries have called for Israel to be banned from the 2026 Eurovision competition because of its military actions in the Gaza Strip during the country’s war against Hamas terrorists following the Oct. 7 massacre.

Some nations have threatened to pull out of next year’s competition if Israel participates, including Spain, The Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland, and Ireland.

The grand final of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest will take place May 16, with the semifinals airing on May 12 and 14.