‘American Idol’ Live Social Voting Delays Eliminations

Deadline • March 31, 2026 • entertainment

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American Idol postponed the results of its live vote during the Songs of Faith episode due to an unprecedented volume of social media votes, with host Ryan Seacrest explaining that tens of millions of votes came in at a record-breaking rate.
No contestant was eliminated in episode 10, and the results will be revealed at the start of next week's show, where the top 12 will perform again for the audience's votes.
The show introduced a new live social voting system this season, allowing fans to vote via Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, online, and text, aiming to engage younger viewers like Gen Alpha and Gen Z.
Showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick emphasized the importance of adapting to current technology and audience habits, noting that social media voting had been a goal for the past five years to make voting more accessible and real-time.
The delayed results affect the competition's progression, with the remaining contestants set to compete in the upcoming 90s Judge’s Song contest once the votes are verified.

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