Just a comment on the Marshall's Showcase last year with the live voting -

I don't think one could call that rigged. I believe that the phone and computer voting was only available for 3-5 minutes after each round of competitions. Phone voting cost either 50 cents or a dollar, so I doubt if anyone did that many times.
Computer voting could be done more than once, but it took several seconds.

As for voting multiple times, that is the American Idol way where they actually suggest you vote as many times as you wish during the period when the votes are accepted.

CarolM
^j^