First, let me say that I have no idea if I am posting this in the correct place. I need a crash course on what goes in the general discussion versus what goes in contestants or the show. :)

For the first time in almost two years, I think I'm actually going to vote tonight. My two favorites so far are Ramiele and Chikezie but I like quite a few of the contestants this year.

I read many times where people have said that they wouldn't vote again, so I'm curious about how many are actually voting this year (and for whom of course).

Last year I just didn't have the heart to vote - I was a little put off by too much inside info as to how the show is subtly manipulated. This year - that doesn't bother me so much anymore. Unfortunately, none of the contestants yet have inspired me to pick up the phone. I liked David H - and he was the first out. I'm not adverse to voting, just not inspired yet.

I too, was not inspired to vote at all last season, even though I thought Melinda was a fantastic vocalist. This year, I still have not voted, but may consider voting if I think my favorite is in jeopardy of going home. That would probably be toward the later rounds since he (Jason) has a big fan base and will more than likely sail through the next several rounds.

I do feel a tad guilty that I didn't vote for David Hernandez, since I did love him and thought he went home too early, but I guess I was not inspired enough to actually pick up the phone.

Season 5 left such a bad taste in my mouth that I vowed then and there not to ever vote again. Funny but that was the only season where I ever was inspired to vote (for Elliott of course). Season 5 remains my favorite season thus far b/c that's where we all met Elliott.

naaahhhh, I can't be bothered. When I think of the THOUSANDS of votes, that I phoned and texted, and the HOURS I spent, and multiply that by all the other e-trainers who were doing the same thing, and random fans doing the same, and then they expect me to BELIEVE that the final night was EVENLY split by the top 3????????????????????????????????????????
Ummmmmmm, no! no way, especially when Taylor had gazillions more votes every other week, then all of a sudden, he dropped to 33%???? And magically, Mrs. Cokas ROSE to 33%, and Elliott came in a mighty close third?????????
People often say that "America got it wrong", but I believe to my soul that it wasn't America, but the pencil pushing powers that be!

Haven't voted yet but I may be inspired to. I did vote last year a few times towards the end as well as during Idol Gives Back. I like David Cook.

after season 5...i swore that i would not only never vote again....but that i would never watch again. i barely watched AI6, much less vote......however, this year, tho i will never vote.....i am watching....and like david cook. i also liked david hernandez....but so much for that. the talent is much better this year.
but my heart is always with elliott....and that spoils it for me.....for anyone else.

If voting through Dial Idol counts, then, yes, I've been voting. I have sworn never to to do a Season 5 vote re-run...that was emotionally exhausting for me and for the whole household. So, for what its worth, Dial Idol is voting for me and because I want to see Ramiele step it up, she's the one I'm "voting" for!

No, I am not voting. I am just enjoying the show for what it is. I never voted before season 5, then I voted like crazy for Elliott, and haven't been inclined to vote since.

No one has moved me like Elliott.......so I am just enjoying the talent. So sad David H is gone. I like Ramiele and I like DAvid Cook, but I'm not voting.

I spent a lot of time voting for Elliott, and I personally feel the voting is fixed and just to get people to spend their money texting, etc. so the big corps can spend their billions............

I liked David Herandez too and think he left too early. But I really liked Alexandrea because she seemed to have that something extra and I was so disappointed that she left so early in the competition. David Cook had the courage to admit that he's a word nerd so he's pretty high on my list too. :) (I'm a word nerd too.)

As for the results, I've always had doubts, especially when Elliott was in the bottom group on Top 5 Week and even more so for Top 3. So I'm going to see who does well tonight (I too really hope it is Ramiele) and give it a shot just in case it does count.

Tonight is super important for the contestants because of the tour and that's one of the main reasons I decided to vote again.

I have vowed not to vote at all this season and so far I have kept good on my promise lol. I'll probably vote during Idol Gives Back because it is a charitable event about doing something good in the world. If I were to vote, I would split my votes between Carly Smithson and David Cook.

I voted for David H. but pretty sure that was the end of voting for me.

I wish I could care enough to vote.

I've been letting dialidol do the voting for me also, and have been focusing on the people who I'd like to see stay but are not getting enough votes, like David H. last week. I also give votes to the one(s) that I enjoyed the most from week to week because I don't have a clear favorite. It is too exhausting to spend all 3 hours dialing. It's just a fun entertainment show for me now and not the matter of anxiety it once was.

Eh, I dunno if I will vote yet. If I DO vote, it surely won't be as diligently & frantically as I did for E. If I vote, it will be for Jason, Ramiele or Carly. (or all 3 if I am feelin froggy! lol)

I'm voting for Ramiele. I didn't start until the main rush was over, but I haven't had any busy signals. I sure hope she's not in the bottom 3 tomorrow.

Tonight was the first time in years that I didn't vote. Last week, I gave 2 hours of votes to David Hernandez. This week, the only great one was David Archuleta. I figured the screaming girls would do all of the voting for me.

It was painful watching/hearing them butcher the Beatles or at best make beautiful songs boring.

I echo what Chloe said. I watched Seasons 2, 3, and 4, but never picked up the phone to vote until the first week of S5 with Elliott. I haven't voted since the final three of Season 5 and won't ever again.

Before the show, I had decided that I would vote. I too was disappointed in the performances. I thought David A. was great, but my two favorites were both diasppointing. I'm becoming more impressed with Jason C. By the end of the show I didn't feel motivated to vote and then decided that it was important to the contestants and I'm still waiting for Ramiele to let loose and prove that she can be a contender, so I voted for her once the lines became clear.

:agreed:

She made it, woohoo!!

I have voted a total of 4 times...all for Jason Castro, in the first 2 weeks of the season. I actually like Brooke and David C. equally as well, but I just felt that Jason needed the votes more for some reason.

After voting like a crazy person for 2 seasons in a row (Elliott and Blake), I'm pretty over it. I don't like anyone this season enough to do that.

I have voted during most seasons of AI, but, of course, never as much as I did for Elliott. This season I am voting as well. Most of my votes so far are going to contestants who are already very popular, like David A, and David C., but I'm mostly voting on each night's best performances so it changes each week.

One of the things I like about the show is that the viewing audience plays a part in it. I've learned over the years that the audience is not the sole arbiter of who gets voted off each week, but I do think we play a major role, and that's one of the enjoyable aspects of the show for me. So I like being a participant in the show by voting. And there isn't the stress involved as there was when Elliott was on and it was clear that we had to be voting like crazy just to keep him on the show.

I wish that AI would let you vote on-line like Dancing With The Stars does.

I would be more apt to place votes on-line and not have to be bothered with busy signels.

Also, I like the limited # of votes you can place.
I know you can sign up for numerous e-mail address, use differents phones, etc, but in the end it
Kinda keeps things in perspective.

I honestly wish I could. For the first time after Elliott. I'd probably split my votes for Jason Castro and Michael Johns. But I think they have enough fan base to keep them in.

I seriously think votes don't really matter. lol

:protest: Well I voted for Asia'H Epperson and David Hernandez in the beginning and you saw where that ended up. I hated to see both of them be eliminated. Also voted for Chikezie Eze on this last round because I wanted him to make the top 10. I was floored that Amanda went home and probably should have voted for her as I have in the past. I just thought she would be safe. Also could not believe that Carly ended up in the bottom 3 so if I vote from now on it will be for both Carly and Chikezie.

I like the two Davids but feel both are popular enough to stay on the show for possibly the end as I feel each will be in the top 2 positions. The rest of the contestants bore me to death and no way will they ever get my vote.

I, also find it strange how the results came about on Season 5 with the narrow margin that Taylor, Elliott and Kat had that season. Makes you wonder if somehow the votes are for real or is someone manipulating them.

Zabasearch has voting charts posted, don't know how correct these are. Here is the link:

http://www.zabasearch.com/american_idol_2006/index.php

ZabaSearch is fake. They always change the voting totals after you find out who gets kicked off. Most notably in season five when Chris Daughtry was voted off that had him in the number one spot following by Taylor then Kat, and then Elliott expected to go home. Then they magically changed it right after Chris got voted off.

And I'm not surprised David A is so far ahead in Dial Idol. I can't go to a restaurant without hearing three or four tables talk about American Idol and talk about David Archuleta, and how there little kids, or their sisters/brothers were voting for him. It's never been like that for me before. So I can believe he is that much ahead.

I haven't gotten any busy signals for anyone that I've voted for during the voting period this season. I wonder if they opened more lines or if they just have fewer people voting.

I'll see what happens tonight. I didn't start voting until about 40 minutes after the show last week and I didn't get a single busy signal. But the same was true too years ago when I was voting every week. As I recall, after the first 20 minutes or so the busy signals became fewer and fewer at this stage. When it was down to the top 6, lines were busy for a longer time. Top 4 (of course that was Elvis night and Elliott was spectacular) was impossible. I think I got something like 5 votes in. I'm going to start voting right after the show tonight. Ramiele and Chekezie are still my two favorites and how many votes I give to each will depend on their performances.

After voting like a mad hatter for Elliott season five, I stopped voting altogether last season and have yet to pick up the phone this yr.
I enjoy the show, but honestly the thrill is gone for me, as I feel Elliott was the pinacle for me in American idol

There are two occasions of why I might vote:

Idol Gives Back because it is charity.

And the finale; if Carly makes it because I would like to see her win.

Otherwise as many of you have stated, I haven't been voting either.