The highly anticipated season 35 premiere of 'Dancing with the Stars' was marred by an unexpected and significant technical malfunction. Just moments into the live broadcast, the show's online voting platform experienced a complete collapse, sending the production into a scramble. This unprecedented issue forced co-hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro to deliver the unfortunate news to millions of viewers, culminating in the decision to invalidate all online votes for the evening. The disruption not only created a chaotic atmosphere during the premiere but also sparked widespread frustration among the audience, raising concerns about the integrity of the initial elimination round.
'Dancing with the Stars' Season 35 Premiere Marred by Unprecedented Voting System Failure
In a dramatic turn of events on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, the live premiere of 'Dancing with the Stars' season 35 was abruptly thrown into disarray when its online voting system encountered a critical failure. Barely past the second dance performance of the evening, co-host Julianne Hough, visibly frazzled, was tasked with the unenviable duty of announcing that online voting was temporarily unavailable. Fans attempting to cast their ballots on ABC's website were met with an ominous 'Error 503 Too Many Variants' message.
As the evening progressed, the technical issues persisted. By 8:45 PM ET, co-host Alfonso Ribeiro delivered a further update, confirming that online voting had been completely suspended for the night. "For tonight, and tonight only, we are throwing out online votes," Ribeiro declared, leaving text message voting as the sole method for viewers to participate. This announcement followed closely after former 'Bachelorette' contestant Tyler Cameron concluded his performance with professional dancer Sharna Burgess.
Hough initially attempted to put a positive spin on the situation, quipping, "Did we break it with the voting? This is kind of rad!" Ribeiro echoed the sentiment with a joke about "breaking stuff around here." However, the lightheartedness did little to assuage the growing frustration among viewers, especially after Connor Leavitt was announced as the first contestant eliminated. Many fans took to social media to attribute his early exit to the voting glitch, with one irate viewer posting, "JUSTICE FOR THE LEAVITTS," citing multiple failed attempts to vote online.
The impact was particularly acute for Canadian viewers, who, despite being able to access the online voting platform, were subsequently informed that their votes would not be counted and were unable to participate via text message. One Canadian fan expressed their dismay, stating, "No online voting means that Canadians just don't get a say tonight."
The show is set to continue with the second part of its two-night season 35 premiere on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 8 PM ET on ABC, with streaming available on Disney+ and subsequent viewing on Hulu.
The technical difficulties experienced during the 'Dancing with the Stars' premiere serve as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities inherent in live, interactive broadcasts. While technology offers incredible opportunities for audience engagement, its occasional failures can significantly impact fairness and viewer satisfaction. This incident will undoubtedly prompt a thorough review of the voting infrastructure, highlighting the critical need for robust and reliable systems in high-stakes live entertainment. For viewers, it underscores the importance of having multiple, stable avenues for participation to ensure their voices are genuinely heard and the competition remains equitable.
