You can vote on Dancing with the Stars in two main ways: online at the official DWTS voting site and by text message during the live broadcast window.

How to Vote on Dancing With the Stars

1. The Basics (Quick Scoop)

  • Voting is only open during the live show, starting around 8 p.m. ET and closing shortly after the last dance.
  • Your votes are combined with the judges’ scores to decide who stays and who goes each week.
  • Most seasons allow 10 votes per couple per method (online and text), so you can usually cast up to 20 votes per couple each episode if you use both.

Think of it like a live fan “boost”: the judges score the technique, you score the vibes.

2. How to Vote Online

Online voting runs through the official DWTS voting page (often at dwtsvote.abc.com or linked from the ABC/DWTS site) and is open to eligible viewers in the U.S., its territories, and Canada during the live broadcast window.

Step-by-step:

  1. Go to the official DWTS voting page when the show goes live (around 8 p.m. ET).
  1. Log in or create an account (you typically confirm your email with a verification code).
  1. Select the couple(s) you want to support and choose how many votes to give each, up to the weekly limit (often 10 per couple).
  1. Click something like “Save Votes” or “Submit” so your choices lock in before the window closes.

Good to know:

  • You can usually tweak your online vote distribution while voting is still open, as long as you re-save your choices.
  • You must be at least 18 and in an eligible region (U.S., Puerto Rico, some territories, and often Canada for online votes).

3. How to Vote by Text

Text voting is designed to be quick: you send a keyword or celebrity name to the official DWTS short code (commonly 21523) during the live show.

Step-by-step:

  1. Watch the live broadcast and note the on-screen keyword for the couple you like (often their first name or a specific code).
  1. Text that keyword or name to the DWTS number (often 21523) during the voting window.
  1. Each text usually equals one vote; you’ll often get a confirmation after your first message and another once you hit the vote limit (commonly 10 per couple).

Important details:

  • Text voting normally requires a U.S. wireless carrier and that you’re in the U.S. or Puerto Rico.
  • SMS votes can’t be changed once sent, unlike online votes.
  • Standard message and data rates may apply, depending on your plan.
  • SMS voting is often not available to viewers in Canada.

4. Timing, Limits, and Strategy

The voting window is tight, so timing matters as much as enthusiasm.

  • When you can vote:
    • Opens when the live episode starts in Eastern Time (around 8 p.m. ET).
* Closes shortly after the last dance, often during the final commercial break.

* Votes usually don’t count if sent while watching later on streaming or delayed broadcasts.
  • How many times you can vote:
    • Common pattern: up to 10 votes per couple per method (10 online + 10 text).
* You can spread those votes across multiple couples or stack them on one favorite.
  • Simple strategy tips:
    • Decide early which couples you’re backing so you don’t run out of time at the end.
    • Use both online and text if you’re eligible; that maximizes your impact within the rules.
* If you make a mistake online, fix it before the window closes and re-save; don’t rely on changing text votes.

5. Forum Talk, Trends, and “Latest News” Vibes

Fan forums and subreddits often break down DWTS voting every season, explaining that viewers outside the live time zones sometimes have to vote “blind” (before seeing performances) because voting is tied to the Eastern/Central live broadcast.

You’ll see recurring topics like:

  • Debates over whether the show is more “popularity contest” or “dance contest,” since fan voting can save popular but weaker dancers or send technically strong ones home.
  • Advice threads where veteran fans coach newcomers on using every available vote, splitting votes between underdogs, or coordinating support for a specific couple.
  • Season-specific chatter (for example, who’s getting a big online push, who seems “robbed,” and which couples benefit most from strong social media fanbases).

On forums, a common theme is: “If you’re mad about the results, make sure you actually used all your votes.”

6. SEO-Style Snapshot

  • Focus keyword: how to vote on Dancing with the Stars – covered with online and text methods, timing, and limits.
  • Related angles: latest news (recent seasons rely on the same core system), forum discussion (fans explaining limits and strategies), and trending topic (casting and voting drama each season).

Meta-style summary:
To vote on Dancing with the Stars , use the official online site or text the couple’s keyword to the DWTS short code during the live broadcast window, staying within the per-method vote limits and regional rules so every click and text actually counts.

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