'X Factor' votes were counted past glitch that caused early deadline

Viewers were outraged after they thought their votes did not count in the season finale of "X Factor New Zealand" on Monday night.

The show's voting system experienced a glitch that told voters that polling had ended much earlier than the official deadline, making some believe their votes would not be tallied.

An errant text message was sent after voting closed. It informed voters who had submitted their choice via text message that their votes had been submitted too late.

The text message votes cost 99 cents, and those fans thought their votes and their money had been wasted.

But the producers said that all votes did count. Singer Jackie Thomas was crowned the winner after a sing-off with fellow finalist Whenua Patuai.

"We can assure the people who got that message that their votes did go through and were included in those that were monitored on the night," TV3 said.

"Since then, as part of our verification process, all votes have been checked and recounted. The overall voting is being independently audited. Once that audit is complete, we will release percentage results," the network reassured viewers.