I used my online votes for the first time last night, and cast a couple of phone votes as well. I don't generally vote until the later stages of the competition though.

I'm also rather bemused by people voting multiple times but I suppose there's nothing to stop them doing so if they can afford it.

I do think people should vote when it comes to elections, but I don't take Strictly quite as seriously...

I haven't tended to vote very often in the past, only when I've really, really enjoyed the dance. I've voted online every week this year though.

I have always voted & continue to do so, or I can't complain if my fav goes home & I haven't done my bit. It's not serious as you say but all part of the fun for me.
So it's a bonus for me this year to be able to do some 'free' votes

Me neither. Voting in public elections is a civil duty for me - women suffered to give me that right and so I feel duty bound to use it.

Strictly can manage without my contribution. The winner doesn't matter.

This is the first year I've voted at all, with the free online voting, I refuse to run my phone bill up with phone votes. It's been nice actually getting involved a bit more.

On line.

Got to go with the free vote rather than cost. Otherwise I would just save up for the final & waste money voting for someone who is bound to come second.

Snap!

In previous years, I've budgeted for 1 vote a week until the final, when I allow myself 4 or 5

I'm loving the free online votes this year

I use the 5 online votes that we are allowed.

Yes, that's exactly how I feel about public elections. I hardly think we have a duty of any kind to vote in Strictly though if you do want to influence the result you need to cast a vote.

Likewise used to only vote in the final, now every week with the free votes.

I vote online

Same here.
I think the online voting could be a little easier- you have to actually vote 5 times, rather than being able to do eg Mark x5, or Natalie x2, Sophie x 2, abbey x1

I did phone vote fairly regularly at one time (i.e. weekly), then that changed to only phoning in a vote during the Final, unless there was a particular routine I enjoyed.

This year I have used all 5 of my online votes. I spread them around or between at least 2 contestants normally.

The morning after Abbey found herself in the bottom two, I vowed to apply tactics and cast all my votes her way, but it didn't happen (last night I voted for Abbey, Patrick and Mark). Logically, I know that keeping Natalie out of the bottom 2 is probably the safest thing to do, but as I can't bring myself to vote that 'dishonestly', I have stuck to what feels right: voting for those that have given me the most joy over the series.

PS: I should copy and paste my reply. This thread topic has come up more than ever this year. Presumably because of the online vote we have now.

Me to.

Same here!

(I usually vote in the final but I rarely watch the show totally live anyway, need to FF Bruce)

I'd have to really like a dance to pay for a phone vote, Mark Ramprakash was one of the few that had me dialling.

Since the free online voting I vote every week, can't imagine getting excited enough about any of the current contestants to add any phone votes.

I have very rarely voted in the past, but since getting the free online votes, I use all five every week and also got my husband to register so he can vote too. I love the show but was never prepared to spend any money phoning to vote.

I've always voted. I didn't use to start voting though, until around midway through the comp, and if I had a real favourite.

I voted like mad for Rachel and Vincent, for example, but last year I didn't vote much.

This year, I again only started voting fairly recently - but now I use the five online votes.

I have people that I LIKE, or whose dancing I like this year, but not one outstanding favourite, so I suppose the online vote is extra to what I would normally do.

Lovely free online votes. I voted by phone last year... Not now. Well, no, I did vote twice by phone after forgetting to sympathy vote online for someone at the bottom of the leader board. A little penance.

I have favourites but also allow votes for whoever really moves me on the night -- for whatever reason.

Apart from the final, I stopped voting by phone years ago, but I've used all my online votes this series.

I've only ever voted in local and general elections.

I usually can't vote anyway, as I tend to go out on Saturdays and watch the show after I've come back which usually then too late to vote, unless I've only just gone out for an dinner and refrain from attending after drinks . And I wouldn't ever want to vote for a couple without seeing the dances first, so would never vote from away from the house (as my friend has done because he tends to vote for the same couple every week, regardless of whetehr they've danced badly. He's a Big Brother type voter, only votes on personality and cares little for the dance element).

If I'm around to vote, I'll only do so on Finals night or maybe semi night too. I rarely vote in the weeks before that, and especially not in the early weeks when there is (or seems to be) a majority trend to keep lesser dances in for whatever rasons. My type of vote is not effective generally, as I only love (and would vote for) beautiful dancing, and I only tend to see that in maybe 1/2 two couples per year (and they're usually they least liked couples each year with the audience - with the exception of Kara).

I vote using my mobile, its only 15p. No wonder I get through so easily if everyone else is voting on-line

Always watched avidly - never voted until this year when the free online votes started.

The only time I ever voted by phone was for Austin and also a few times for Kara.

This year I've used all five online votes for Mark (barring one week when I split them a gave a couple to Abbey & one to Susanna.

I will now hold my hands up and admit that I have since registered three different email addresses online and all 15 votes have been used in an attempt to keep Mark in the competition. So there.

I can't help it if I've fallen for a well padded bloke with lovely warm, crinkly eyes and lots of laughter lines on his face - can I?