Why Did They Go Home? Breaking Down Tonight’s Dwts Elimination and Fan Vote Impact
Q1: How are the bottom two couples determined on Dancing with the Stars?
The bottom two couples are decided by combining the percentage of total judges' points with the percentage of total viewer votes cast during the live broadcast. The two couples with the lowest combined totals land in the bottom two.
Q2: Why was the Judges' Save dropped from recent seasons?
The Judges' Save was utilized between Season 28 and Season 32 to protect high-scoring dancers from fan-vote upsets. Producers eventually removed it to restore pure viewer-driven stakes and keep live broadcast pacing tight under shorter transmission windows.
Q3: Can viewers in Western time zones vote for couples before the elimination?
Yes, but only during the live broadcast window. Viewers in the Mountain and Pacific time zones must cast their votes online simultaneously with the live Eastern broadcast, well before the episode airs on tape delay in their local regions.
