{
  "id": 861496,
  "title": "Eurovision proposes new rules to tackle mass voting",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/eurovision-proposes-new-rules-to-tackle-mass-voting",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-14T10:23:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC News",
    "slug": "bbc-news",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czrjxyg8mzmo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Eurovision Song Contest organizers are considering significant rule changes to curb voting campaigns that manipulate competition results. Currently, viewers can vote up to 10 times for their favorite act through phone, text, or online methods. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has suggested transitioning the voting process entirely online and mandating the public to select their top three acts, rather than being able to vote multiple times for a single contestant. This move comes in response to persistent concerns about politically motivated voting, which has been under scrutiny following the Israeli government's encouragement of fans to register multiple votes for contestant Yuval Raphael in 2025. Raphael ultimately finished as the runner-up, placing 15th in the jury vote but outperforming all other participants in the public vote. The proposed rule changes aim to dilute the impact of coordinated voting blocks without compromising fairness or trust in the contest. The EBU is also investigating the possibility of moving the entire voting process online, a decision that would be implemented in the 2026 contest. Additionally, the EBU has announced that Israeli cosmetics company Moroccan Oil will end its sponsorship of Eurovision after six years, amid protests over Israel's presence in the contest during the war in Gaza. The 2027 Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Burgas, Bulgaria, following the country's victory at this year's event with contestant Dara.",
  "summary": "Organisers reportedly say politically motivated voting is \"persistent\" and is seen as \"deeply worrying\".",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}