“American Idol” to offer online voting for first time ever

Beginning immediately after the first American Idol performance show for this season (which airs next Tuesday, March 1 from 8-9:30pm ET/PT), fans will, for the first time, be able to vote for their favorite contestants online at americanidol.com.

Only fans with a registered Facebook account in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands will be able to cast votes online, as they will be required to log in through these Facebook accounts to access the voting page during the voting window. The voting page will feature the name and photo of each of the current contestants, and fans may cast up to 50 total online votes for that evening’s performances.

“We have been wanting to do online voting for several years, and now Facebook has offered us a secure solution and we are ready to go,” said Simon Fuller, creator and executive producer. “The show has always involved a high level of engagement with its viewers through texting and phone voting, and it’s great to expand on this tradition.”

In addition to online voting, viewers will continue to be able to vote via toll-free phone lines, as well as through unlimited text-message votes for AT&T wireless customers, during the voting window.

The 12 male semifinalists perform March 1 at 8pm ET/PT; the 12 female semifinalists perform March 2 at 8pm ET/PT; and this season’s finalists are announced live March 3 at 8pm ET (tape-delayed Pacific).

For more information, visit the official site linked above.

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Credit: FOX