Eurovision Considers New Voting System to Curb Political Bloc Voting After Israel Campaign

Following controversy over the voting method at Eurovision 2026, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is exploring changes to prevent similar incidents in the future. The new voting system, first set to be implemented at the inaugural Eurovision Asia contest this year, requires viewers to distribute their votes among at least three different contestants rather than giving all votes to a single country. The EBU hopes this change will reduce political and organized voting, encouraging audiences to vote based on song quality and performance.

This move comes after the Israeli delegation's voting campaign during Eurovision 2026, where the Israeli broadcaster urged viewers to allocate all ten possible votes to Israel's representative, Noam Batan. The EBU demanded the removal of these campaign videos and began considering modifications to the voting process to limit the impact of such campaigns.

The new voting model resembles the system used in Junior Eurovision, where votes are spread across multiple contestants. While the change will initially apply only to Eurovision Asia, the EBU may adopt it for the main Eurovision contest if it proves effective in reducing political voting influence. Discussions about these reforms took place during the EBU's general assembly after the 2026 contest.