If you’re following Dancing With the Stars Season 35, there’s a good reason to keep an eye on the voting schedule right now. The competition has reached its semifinal stage, and with just six celebrity couples remaining, every performance is becoming more important. Fans watching from home can still influence the competition through their votes, but knowing when the voting window opens is just as important as knowing how to cast a vote.
The latest episode, Grammy Night, aired on November 10, and it ended with a surprising elimination. Jenna Dewan and her professional partner Val Chmerkovskiy were sent home despite earning 28 out of 30 points from the judges. Their departure has left six couples competing for a place in the finale, which is why viewers are already looking ahead to the next opportunity to support their favorites.
For anyone searching for the Dancing With the Stars voting link, text number or voting rules, here’s how the process works in 2026 and when fans can participate again.
Is Dancing With the Stars Voting Open Right Now?
No. As of November 11, the voting window for the latest episode has closed. Viewers had their opportunity to support the remaining couples during the November 10 live broadcast, but votes cannot be added after the official deadline.
The next voting opportunity will come during the Season 35 Semifinals on Tuesday, November 17, when the remaining contestants return to the ballroom. Fans should remember that voting is available only during the designated live voting period. Watching the episode later on Hulu or Disney+ does not reopen the voting window, so viewers who want their choices counted will need to participate while the live vote is active.
Where to Vote for Dancing With the Stars Online
The official website for voting is dwtsvote.abc.com. This is the main destination for viewers who want to support their favorite celebrity couples without using text messages. When voting opens, the website displays the competing couples and allows eligible viewers to distribute their votes among them.
To get started, visit the website and sign in or create an account. First-time users must complete a one-time email verification before they can submit votes. Once the available contestants appear, select the couples you want to support and assign your votes. There is one small step that’s easy to overlook: clicking the Save Votes button. Your selections need to be saved for them to count, and if you change your choices while voting is still open, you must save the updated votes again.
You don’t need to pay for a Disney+ subscription to vote through ABC’s website. The online voting process is separate from watching the show, although you must meet the show’s location and age requirements.
What Is the Dancing With the Stars Text Voting Number?
Fans who prefer voting from their phones can also use SMS voting. The official text voting number for Season 35 is 21523. During a live episode, each celebrity couple receives a designated voting keyword, which viewers can find on the show’s official voting page or through the instructions displayed during the broadcast.
To cast a vote, send the correct keyword to 21523 while the voting window is open. Make sure you check the current keyword rather than relying on a name or code from an older episode, as the available contestants and voting instructions can change throughout the season.
Text voting is particularly useful for people who don’t want to go through the online voting process. However, there’s an important difference: once a text vote has been submitted, you cannot edit or redistribute it. Standard message and data charges may also apply depending on your wireless carrier.
How Many Votes Can You Cast on Dancing With the Stars?
The current voting rules allow up to 10 votes per couple through the online voting system and another 10 votes per couple through SMS. This means eligible viewers who use both methods can potentially submit up to 20 votes for the same couple during a single episode.
You aren’t required to give all your votes to one celebrity. For example, you could distribute your online votes between two or three couples if you enjoyed several performances. Online selections can also be changed before voting closes, which gives viewers some flexibility if their opinion changes after watching the final dances.
The important thing is to remember that the 10-vote limit applies to each couple through each voting method, not simply 10 votes across the entire show. If you use both online and text voting, make sure you follow the separate instructions for each.
When Does DWTS Voting Open and Close?
During the regular Season 35 schedule, Dancing With the Stars begins its live broadcast at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. Voting opens alongside the live show and remains available until shortly after the final competitive dance, when the voting window closes during the final commercial break.
The deadline follows the initial live simulcast in the Eastern and Central time zones. Eligible viewers in other U.S. time zones and Canada can still vote online during that same window, even if their local television broadcast is scheduled for later. This is especially important for West Coast viewers, who shouldn’t wait until their local evening viewing time to submit their choices.
Another detail worth remembering is that voting doesn’t stay open until the next morning. Once the live voting window closes, neither a replay nor a next-day streaming release gives viewers another chance to submit votes.
Who Can Vote for Dancing With the Stars in 2026?
ABC has different eligibility requirements for online and text voting. To vote online, viewers must be at least 18 years old and physically located in the United States, its territories or Canada. Eligible viewers need an account to access the official voting page, but they don’t need a paid Disney+ membership.
Text voting is more restricted. It is available to eligible viewers in the United States and its territories who use participating U.S. wireless carriers. Canadian viewers can participate through online voting but cannot use the SMS voting option.
These restrictions are important for international fans who follow the show from outside North America. Simply having access to the broadcast or streaming service doesn’t automatically make someone eligible to participate in the official voting process.
Jenna Dewan’s Elimination Changes the Season 35 Competition
The November 10 Grammy Night episode was an important turning point in the competition. Seven couples entered the ballroom, performing routines inspired by Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated music. The night also introduced a series of dance-offs, with live musical appearances from Brandy, Monica, Maren Morris and Sheryl Crow.
Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson entered the episode with immunity from the dance-off round after finishing with the highest cumulative score across the season. The other couples competed for additional points, adding another layer of pressure to an already important night.
Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy delivered a jazz performance to Janet Jackson’s “All For You” and earned 28 out of 30 points. The routine had an extra personal connection because Dewan had previously toured with Jackson as a backup dancer. Jackson even sent the pair a video message ahead of their performance. Despite the strong judges’ score, the couple ultimately received the elimination announcement, showing just how important the audience vote can be when combined with the judges’ results.
Who Is Still Competing on Dancing With the Stars?
Following the Grammy Night elimination, six celebrity couples remain in the competition. They are:
- Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson
- Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov
- Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach
- Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas
- Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik
- Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold
Each remaining pair has a different connection with the audience, whether through television, sports, music or reality entertainment. The next live performances will be particularly important because the competition is now moving into its final stages.
When Is the Dancing With the Stars 2026 Finale?
Season 35 is approaching its conclusion, with the Semifinals scheduled for November 17 and the Finale scheduled for November 24, 2026. Both are important dates for viewers planning to follow the final voting rounds and find out which couple takes home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
Until then, the best way to support a favorite contestant is to keep checking the official ABC voting website when the next live episode begins. With only six couples left, the remaining performances and audience votes could make the final stretch of Season 35 particularly exciting.
