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NBC’s The Voice Season 23 finale ends on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, and fans finally get to see who wins the grand prize. D. Smooth, Gina Miles, Grace West, NOIVAS, and Sorelle are the final five contestants remaining in the competition. So, is the winner rigged? Here’s why some fans on Reddit have questions.

Is ‘The Voice’ Season 23 rigged? Some fans blame the voting system

Grace West and NOIVAS on stage in 'The Voice' Season 23 finale
Grace West and NOIVAS in ‘The Voice’ Season 23 finale | Trae Patton/NBC

The Voice Season 23 appears authentic, but fans have doubts. The season began with the four coaches choosing their teams, and later in the season, viewers had the opportunity to cast their votes to see who would continue. Now, the season finale is here — and fans could cast votes overnight on Monday, May 22, 2023, for the winner.

So, is the show rigged? Some fans think this season heavily favors Blake Shelton. Shelton has two competitors in the finale — NOIVAS and Grace West — whereas the other judges only have one singer. Additionally, it’s Shelton’s final season, so it makes sense that NBC would want one of his singers to win the grand prize.

As for how the voting would be “rigged,” fans are calling out how the live semifinal voting worked. The semifinals didn’t allow for West Coast voters, which certainly put a few singers at a disadvantage. With that said, the bad voting system doesn’t mean it was rigged.

“The Voice only allowed for the Eastern and Central Time Zones to vote,” a Reddit user noted. “And if you have ever driven through the Southeastern U.S., that is country music territory. I admit, I don’t know a whole lot about the American West, but without a state like California to balance it out, I think it hurt a contestant like Ryley [Tate Wilson] that they were kept out of the vote.”

“No, it’s not rigged,” another fan noted. “That said, every competition show has producer favorites that they emphasize more than the other acts; this year, the favorite seems to be Grace West since they constantly bring up how she’s Blake’s last artist.”

“Rigged? Doubtful …. That we didn’t truly know this year’s rules? Possible,” another fan explained.

The contract on the show allegedly says that production can ignore votes

Many fans think the voting system in The Voice Season 23 didn’t do several artists any favors, though this doesn’t necessarily mean the show’s rigged. With that said, a leaked contract from the show allegedly states that producers can ignore the votes if they choose.

Does this mean that NBC changes the votes completely to choose a winner for themselves? It’s doubtful — though it seems possible that NBC could fudge some of the votes if it fits the perfect TV narrative. At the end of the day, The Voice needs viewers and a good storyline.

‘The Voice’ Season 23 winner will be announced on Tuesday, May 23, 2023

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The Voice Season 23 comes to an end on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. Part 1 of the finale, which aired on May 22, 2023, showed the final five singers taking to the stage and singing two final songs to wow the audience. Viewers could then take part in the Overnight Vote to determine the winner.

On May 23, the winner will be announced. Additionally, fans will see performances from guests like Maroon 5 (including past judge Adam Levine), and Carson Daly also makes an appearance. Fans will also say goodbye to Blake Shelton as Reba McEntire prepares to take his place.

The Voice Season 23 finale ends on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

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