Editing Eurovision Song Contest (section)

=== Political and geographical voting ===
{{multiple image
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| footer            = Produced using the methods presented by Mantzaris, Rein, and Hopkins:{{sfn| Mantzaris | Rein | Hopkins | 2018a }}{{sfn| Mantzaris | Rein | Hopkins | 2018b }} a network of the significant score deviations can be viewed over a time period of interest.<br />
{{legend inline|#ff6a6a}}Southwest {{space|en}} {{legend inline|#bdeeee}}Northwest {{space|en}} {{legend inline|#1e90ff}}North {{space|en}} {{legend inline|#ccc}}Central {{space|en}} {{legend inline|#ffb90f}}Southeast {{space|en}} {{legend inline|#9acd32}}East
| image1            = The collusion between countries in Eurovision 1997 to 2017.png
| alt1              = Voting preferences in Eurovision 1997 to 2017
| caption1          = Voting preferences between countries in Eurovision between 1997 and 2017
| image2            = Mutual neglect of score allocations in the Eurovision 2010 to 2015.png
| alt2              = Neglect in Eurovision 2010 to 2015
| caption2          = Mutual neglect of score allocations in Eurovision between 2010 and 2015
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The contest has been described as containing political elements in its voting process, a perception that countries will give votes more frequently and in higher quantities to other countries based on political relationships, rather than the musical merits of the songs themselves.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 May 2004 |title=Eurovision votes 'farce' attack |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/3719157.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040603125500/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/3719157.stm |archive-date=3 June 2004 |access-date=6 July 2020 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=14 May 2007 |title=Malta slates Eurovision's voting |work=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6654719.stm |url-status=live |access-date=6 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070709104543/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6654719.stm |archive-date=9 July 2007}}</ref> Numerous studies and academic papers have been written on this subject, which have corroborated that certain countries form "clusters" or "cliques" by frequently voting in the same way; one study concludes that [[voting bloc]]s can play a crucial role in deciding the winner of the contest, with evidence that on at least two occasions bloc voting was a pivotal factor in the vote for the winning song.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fenn |first1=Daniel |last2=Suleman |first2=Omer |last3=Efstathiou |first3=Janet |last4=Johnson |first4=Niel F. |date=1 February 2006 |title=How does Europe Make Its Mind Up? Connections, cliques, and compatibility between countries in the Eurovision Song Contest |journal=Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and Its Applications |volume=360 |issue=2 |pages=576–598 |arxiv=physics/0505071 |bibcode=2006PhyA..360..576F |doi=10.1016/j.physa.2005.06.051 |s2cid=119406544}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gatherer |first=Derek |date=31 March 2006 |title=Comparison of Eurovision Song Contest Simulation with Actual Results Reveals Shifting Patterns of Collusive Voting Alliances |url=http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/9/2/1.html |journal=Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation |volume=9 |issue=2 |issn=1460-7425 |access-date=6 July 2020}}</ref> Other views on these "blocs" argue that certain countries will allocate high points to others based on similar musical tastes, shared cultural links and a high degree of similarity and [[mutual intelligibility]] between languages, and are therefore more likely to appreciate and vote for the competing songs from these countries based on these factors, rather than political relationships specifically.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Ginsburgh |first1=Victor |last2=Noury |first2=Abdul |date=October 2006 |title=The Eurovision Song Contest: Is Voting Political or Cultural? |url=http://w.ecares.org/ecare/personal/ginsburgh/papers/153.eurovision.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903222919/http://w.ecares.org/ecare/personal/ginsburgh/papers/153.eurovision.pdf |archive-date=3 September 2015 |access-date=6 July 2020}}</ref><ref name="Spierdijk/Vellekoop">{{Cite journal |last1=Spierdijk |first1=L |last2=Vellekoop |first2=M.H. |year=2006 |title=Geography, culture, and religion: Explaining the bias in Eurovision song contest voting |url=https://research.utwente.nl/en/publications/geography-culture-and-religion-explaining-the-bias-in-eurovision- |journal=Applied Mathematics Memoranda |volume=1794 |access-date=6 July 2020}}</ref> Analysis on other voting patterns have revealed examples which indicate voting preferences among countries based on shared religion, as well as "patriotic voting", particularly since the introduction of televoting in {{Escyr|1997}}, where [[Expatriate|foreign nationals]] vote for their country of origin.<ref name="Spierdijk/Vellekoop" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=17 May 2016 |title=Is there a Eurovision migrant effect? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-36305838 |access-date=6 July 2020 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>

Voting patterns in the contest have been reported by news publishers, including ''[[The Economist]]'', ''[[The Times]]'', and ''[[BBC News]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alexander |first=Ruth |date=19 May 2008 |title=The maths of Eurovision voting |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7408216.stm |access-date=7 July 2020 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Davies |first=Matilda |date=13 May 2022 |title=Data holds the key to Eurovision success or failure |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/music/article/eurovision-2022-songs-analysis-p5d6gndsp |access-date=8 May 2023 |website=[[The Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=12 May 2018 |title=Neighbourly voting in the Eurovision Song Contest |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |url=https://www.economist.com/europe/2018/05/12/neighbourly-voting-in-the-eurovision-song-contest |access-date=7 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=11 May 2018 |title=Partisanship at Eurovision is becoming more blatant |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |url=https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2018/05/11/partisanship-at-eurovision-is-becoming-more-blatant |access-date=7 July 2020}}</ref> Criticism of the voting system was at its highest in the mid-2000s, resulting in a number of calls for countries to boycott the contest over reported voting biases, particularly following the {{Escyr|2007||2007 contest}} where Eastern European countries occupied the top 15 places in the final and dominated the qualifying spaces.{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=188–191}}{{sfn|West|2020|pp=241–245}} The poor performance of the entries from more traditional Eurovision countries had subsequently been discussed in European national parliaments.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 May 2007 |title=MP demands Eurovision vote change |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6657207.stm |access-date=6 July 2020 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>{{efn|The developments in the voting was cited as among the reasons for the resignation of [[Terry Wogan]] as commentator for the BBC, a role he had performed at every contest from {{Escyr|1980}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 August 2008 |title=Terry Wogan 'very doubtful' about presenting Eurovision again |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/eurovision-12-1323243 |access-date=6 July 2020 |website=NME}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=5 December 2008 |title=Norton is Eurovision's new Wogan |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7766310.stm |access-date=6 July 2020 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>}} In response to this criticism, the EBU introduced a second semi-final in 2008, with countries split based on geographic proximity and voting history, and juries of music professionals were reintroduced in 2009, in an effort to reduce the impacts of bloc voting.<ref name="2010 jury semis" /><ref name="Jury 09 final" /><ref name="Revamp">{{Cite web |date=9 January 2008 |title=Revamp for Eurovision Song Contest |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/revamp-for-eurovision-song-contest |access-date=7 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref>