Eurovision 2017: How does the new voting system work?
THE Eurovision Song Contest shook things up last year up when it changed the voting format, but how does the new voting system work?
How to vote in Eurovision Song Contest 2017
The winning country will be announced right at the end of the competition this year after the voting rules were changed in 2016.
The presenters of the show will reveal the total number of points awarded to each country, starting with the nation with the lowest number and then going up the list to reveal the winner.
In 2015 the points awarded by the professional jury and public vote were announced as a combined figure, and the frontrunner was usually apparent before the last country had delivered its verdict.
However, from 2016 the votes from the jury are revealed first when the contest will “call-in” to each of the 43 competing nations.
The public’s votes is then added onto the juries’ scores right at the end, before the hosts announce the final results in ascending order.
The change is the most dramatic since 1975 when the voting was announced in the old format.
A video explains how the Eurovision voting system works
The new voting format guarantees that the song which is most popular among the public will receive twelve points regardless of how the juries voted
“This new way of presenting the votes is a big step forward, both to make a better television show as well as a more exciting competition,” said Jon Ola Sand, Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016.
He added: “There is more reason than ever to vote in the Eurovision Song Contest. The new voting format guarantees that the song which is most popular among the public will receive twelve points regardless of how the juries voted.
“It is fitting that this change to the Contest’s iconic scoring sequence will be debuted in Stockholm, where the famous douze points system was introduced in 1975.”
The public's votes are separate from the juries' scores
The new voting system was inspired by Melodifestivalen, Sweden’s national selection format for the Eurovision Song Contest.
Before the change there has been talk for some time of revamping the format to make the competition more nail-biting.
A unanimous decision was taken by the Eurovision Song Contest Reference Group to change the format last year.
Singer Måns Zelmerlöw was crowned the victor in 2015
This year's competition is held in Kiev, Ukraine
This year’s competition is taking place in Kiev, Ukraine after singer Jamala was crowned the victor with her track 1944.
The Eurovision Song Contest grand final is set to take place on Saturday May 14.