You vote for Dancing With the Stars in two main ways: online and by text, during the live broadcast’s voting window only.

Basic ways to vote

  • Online through the official DWTS voting page on ABC: usually at dwtsvote.abc.com.
  • By SMS text, sending a keyword or the celebrity’s name to the show’s designated short code (commonly 21523 in recent seasons).
  • You must be at least 18 and live in the U.S., its territories, or Canada for online voting; SMS voting is typically only available in the U.S. and its territories.

Step‑by‑step: Online voting

  1. Go to the official DWTS voting site (for recent seasons, dwtsvote.abc.com or via the ABC/DWTS page).
  1. Log in with, or create, an ABC / Disney‑linked account, then confirm your email if you’re new.
  1. Once the live voting window opens during the episode, select the couple(s) you want to support and assign your votes (up to 10 online votes per person, per episode in recent rules).
  1. Click Save or Save Votes so your choices actually count.
  1. You can usually adjust your vote distribution online while the window is still open, as long as you re‑save your choices.

Step‑by‑step: Text (SMS) voting

  1. Watch the live show: the hosts and on‑screen graphics will show each couple’s text keyword or name plus the text number (commonly 21523 for recent seasons).
  1. On your phone, open a new text to that number and type the correct keyword for your favorite couple.
  1. Send up to the allowed maximum (recently 10 texts per viewer per couple per episode, each text = 1 vote).
  1. Double‑check spelling and the number before you hit send, because once SMS votes are sent, you generally cannot change them.

When voting is open

  • Voting normally opens at the start of the live broadcast (for example, 8 p.m. ET during the main show or finale) and closes shortly after the last performance or within the same live window.
  • Online voting often works nationwide in the U.S. and Canada during that time, while SMS is tied to U.S. carriers only.
  • If you’re time‑shifted (watching later), your voting window may already be closed, so it’s safest to check the current season’s rules each week.

Limits, tips, and “gotchas”

  • Typical recent limit: 10 votes per method (online + SMS) per person per episode, so up to 20 total votes per couple if you use both methods.
  • Make sure you meet age and location requirements, or the system may not accept your votes.
  • If the website glitches, refreshing the page, trying another browser or device, or clearing cache often fixes it.
  • For texting, always confirm the on‑screen keyword and the short code, since a typo or wrong number can invalidate your vote.

Forum‑style quick take

Most fans split their votes: they max out 10 online and 10 by text for their top couple, then tweak the online votes near the end of the show if a routine surprises them.

Is this still accurate “right now”?

The exact site URL, short code, and rules (vote limits, eligible regions, timing) can change slightly by season, but the two‑method system (online + SMS during the live window) has stayed consistent through the latest seasons and finales. For the current season, always check the on‑screen instructions during the broadcast or the official ABC / DWTS site the day of the show.

TL;DR: Go to the official DWTS voting page during the live show and log in to cast up to 10 online votes, and/or text the couple’s keyword to the official short code (like 21523) up to 10 times, all within the live voting window.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.