Ready to watch 'Dancing with the Stars' in 2015?

Ready to watch 'Dancing with the Stars' in 2015?

Newbie or veteran? Either way, it really doesn't matter.

You'll want to catch up on the voting rules for "Dancing with the Stars" this season, as the series marks its 10th anniversary -- and 20th season overall.

Noah Galloway, an Army vet from Alabama, is among the 24 cast members, making his "Dancing" debut on Monday, March 16, at 7 p.m. CST.  He and partner Sharna Burgess will dance the cha-cha, hoping to win high scores from the judges and collect lots of votes from viewers.

If you're planning to cast a ballot for Team Shalloway -- recently shortened to #TeamShway on Twitter -- or vote for their opponents, check out the new voting guidelines for the ABC reality series.

Here are some key points to remember, pulled from official website:

Q: How does the show work this season?
A: During the live show every Monday night for the Spring 2015 season, the stars will dance their hearts out. Then, fans vote for their favorite dancers. Fan votes will be combined with the judges scores, and the following week, the pair with the lowest combination of votes and scores will be eliminated. The scoring and format of the show is unique to the series, and is not based on a standard dance championship.

Q: How do I vote?
A: There are three ways for you to keep your favorite stars dancing. You can vote by phone or do it online, either at ABC.com on Facebook. You have to be 13 years old ... sorry, tweens!

Q: When can I vote?
A: Phone voting begins during the show on Mondays, and is open until 60 minutes after the conclusion of that show in your local time zone.

Online voting at both ABC.com and Facebook opens each Monday when the show begins at 7 p.m. CST (8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT) and stays open until 7 p.m. CST he next day. During the season's final week, online voting will open when the show begins at 7 p.m. CST (8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT) and will stay open until 10 a.m. CST (11 a.m. ET, 8 a.m. PT) the following morning.

Q: What are the phone numbers for voting by phone?
A: Phone numbers for voting will be announced soon.

Q: Do I need to do anything first to vote online?
A: To vote at ABC.com, a username and a valid email address are a must. If you already have a Facebook or Twitter account, you can sign in with one of those accounts, connect it to an ABC account and you're ready to go. If you don't have a Facebook or Twitter account, you can sign up for an ABC account at ABC.com.

The Internet browser on user computers must allow cookies, have Javascript enabled and have the latest version of Flash installed in order to vote. If cookies and Javascript are disabled and Flash is not installed, users will be unable to access the online ballot.

To vote via Facebook, go here: http://apps.facebook.com/votedwts. You will need to have pop-up blockers turned off for Facebook and authorize the Dancing with the Stars voting app.

Q: Multiple members of my household would like to vote. Can they?
A: Yes. Just make sure to log out after you finish voting, then have your other household members log in with their Facebook, Twitter or ABC.com accounts. It's fine to vote on the same computer.

Q: I have an existing ABC account. Why do I need to validate my email address?
A: The registration system has been changed. When you log into your ABC account, you will be sent a confirmation email. Click on the link inside. Once your account is validated, you're all set to vote for the season. You can validate your account now so you're ready to roll come premiere night. Sometimes it takes a few minutes for the validation email to be delivered. Also, be sure to check your spam folder to make sure the email didn't land there.

Cr.Alabama Media Group