Today, Netflix is officially launching its new real-time voting feature for live events. Voting will begin with the premiere of the Star Search reboot live on January 20, 2026 at 9 p.m. ET.
Real-time voting has been in testing since August 2025. At the TechCrunch Disrupt event in October, Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone shared an announcement about the new feature, telling the audience that the goal is to make content “more interactive over time, across devices, between TV and mobile” to get viewers more involved and immersed in what they’re watching.
In today’s announcement, we learned that voting will happen in two ways – with a five star scale or with choice selection. The feature will allow viewers to vote instantly, during key moments of a live event.
The voting feature will be available globally, giving all Netflix subscribers the opportunity to play a role in the content they love to watch.
“The live voting feature is a total game-changer,” said Anthony Anderson, the new Star Search host, in an announcement about the reboot. “Knowing that fans from all over the world can cast their votes in real time adds a whole new layer of excitement and participation to the mix. It’s like we’re all part of the show and get to be one of the judges.”
Here’s how to use the new voting feature.
- Grab your remote when it’s time – you’ll be prompted on screen and will have a limited amount of time to vote.
- Make your selection from the options on the screen. Note: You can only vote once (per profile), and your vote can’t be changed after submitting.
- You’ll see the result of each vote during the live episode.
You can only vote if you’re watching live. If you rewind or aren’t caught up, you may miss the voting window.