‘Dancing With The Stars’ Fans Question Voting System As ‘Bachelor’ Star Makes Semifinals

Fans of Dancing with the Stars are seriously questioning the show’s voting system after Bachelor star Joe Amabile made the series’ semifinals, bypassing other performers whom viewers felt should have been standing in his shoes.

A Facebook group titled Dancing with the Stars Voting Change claims that the series needs to take a closer look at how its performing stars are voted into the finals.

They claim that dancers who are the most talented should be making the final cut, not those with the largest fan bases.

A post on the site claims of Amabile, who is paired with mirrorball winner Jenna Johnson, “This guy may go down in history as the man who broke Dancing with the Stars. All these people voting for Joe obviously are not huge fans of the show, but fans of him or where he lives.”

“This is really going to backfire for ABC. Ratings are going to drop drastically if this guy makes the finals or worse if he wins the whole thing being the worst dancer from the season. Think about that ABC,” the post continued.

In the thread that followed, fans stated they too felt that something needed to be done with the show’s voting system, which allows a set number of votes online and via phone for one couple.

” I agree, it’s not a vote for dancing, it’s a vote for popularity……so sad,” posted one fan.

Another stated, “I felt the same way with Bristol Palin a few years back. This isn’t the first time.”

“This happens every year someone good gets passed over for someone who has votes. It’s how the show works,” said yet another fan of the series, but not the show’s voting system.

The site also cited the controversy surrounding Season 11 of the series when Bristol Palin, the daughter of former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who was partnered with Mark Ballas, made the show’s finale, coming in third behind Kyle Massey and season winner Jennifer Grey.

Palin’s inclusion in the finals caused fan backlash, with many claiming then the voting system for the show had serious issues.

Back in 2012, Dancing with the Stars producers addressed the issue, stating “a record amount of activity” overloaded its online and telephone voting systems after Palin’s appearance in the finale, as reported by CBS News.

Complaints flooded after the show when fans had trouble getting through on the phones and on ABC’s website to cast votes for the three finalists, Massey, Grey, and Palin.

“Some viewers reported experiencing difficulties registering their votes for the Dancing with the Stars finale, which affected each finalist equally,” show producers said in a statement at the time. “The issue was promptly addressed,” the show claimed.

Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays on ABC.