If you’re a fan of “The Voice,” then at least once you’ve raged about a contestant you like getting the boot, or one you hate staying on against all the odds. In spite of the knowledge that this is just how the game works, it’s easy to complain that the votes are rigged or the system is faulty. While normally that’s not necessarily the case, sometimes it is.

In a recent episode, Jason George, CEO of Telescope, which is responsible for tallying the votes from this and other such shows, announced with the host that there were inconsistencies with the texting and online voting. As such, they did not count votes cast via text and online, which is a very large amount of votes.

Although they were upfront in admitting it, they also assured the audience that the changed votes did not affect the outcome in any way. Most were rightfully skeptical of this claim, as it cut out multitudes of votes that could have swayed the course of the show, assuming the show actually took their votes into account.

Regardless of the claims that the outcome was not affected, fans of the show still took to Twitter (News - Alert) and social media to air their complaints. This technological foul-up had ruined their faith in the show, nay, the democratic process as a whole, as they felt their votes were not counted, and therefore caused their contestant of choice to suffer.

Of course, voting issues have plagued similar reality and talent shows before. For example, power-dialing hardware and dropped call issues plagued “American Idol” in seasons past, while many viewers have started feeling that their votes are just for show, and have no real impact on the results.

This stands as a stark example for two things. First, the companies responsible for entertainment, especially those that take audience votes, must make sure that their systems are fully operational and working correctly. As it’s been made clear by this incident, a single error can cause damage to the show and company’s reputation.

Second, it demonstrates the power of social media, as Twitter exploded with complaints, rants, and angry denouncements of the show. Customers are used to having their voices heard over the Internet, whether it’s when they cast a vote or complain on social media. And when they’re not heard properly, they get louder.