X Factor USA viewers can soon vote through Twitter

A new partnership between Twitter and The X Factor USA means fans of the show in the US will soon be able to vote for their favourite contestants via direct messages.

According to the official Twitter Blog, from next week viewers will be able to submit a vote via a direct message for their favourite act as long as they’re following @TheXFactorUSA account first.

The blog post stresses that votes need to be sent via direct message so they’re kept secret and normal tweets about the show and the acts don’t count.

This kind of Twitter voting system seems like a logical step, for some time now users have been taking to the platform to discuss live events, reality shows and TV programmes as they happen. So, the new voting mechanic further proves that broadcasters understand the value of engaging viewers with their TV screens AND their computer screens at the same time.