diff --git a/tools/cldr-apps/js/src/esm/cldrVote.mjs b/tools/cldr-apps/js/src/esm/cldrVote.mjs
index 6a22cddb854..8644f58dc19 100644
--- a/tools/cldr-apps/js/src/esm/cldrVote.mjs
+++ b/tools/cldr-apps/js/src/esm/cldrVote.mjs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import * as cldrSurvey from "./cldrSurvey.mjs";
 import * as cldrTable from "./cldrTable.mjs";
 import * as cldrText from "./cldrText.mjs";
 
-const CLDR_VOTE_DEBUG = false;
+const CLDR_VOTE_DEBUG = true;
 
 /**
  * The special "vote level" selected by the user, or zero for default.
@@ -26,10 +26,11 @@ let voteLevelChanged = 0;
 /**
  * Wire up the button to perform a submit
  *
- * @param button
- * @param tr
- * @param theRow
- * @param vHash
+ * @param {Element} button the GUI button
+ * @param {Element} tr the table row
+ * @param {Object} theRow object describing the table row
+ * @param {String} vHash hash of the value of the candidate item (cf. DataPage.getValueHash on back end),
+ *                       or empty string for newly submitted value
  */
 function wireUpButton(button, tr, theRow, vHash) {
   let vHashStr = vHash;
@@ -84,12 +85,10 @@ function wireUpButton(button, tr, theRow, vHash) {
  * @param {Object} newValue the newly submitted value, or undefined if it's a vote for an already existing value (buttonb)
  * @param {Element} button the GUI button
  *
- * TODO: shorten this function, using (non-nested) subroutines
- *
  * Called from cldrTable.addValueVote (for new value submission)
  * as well as locally in cldrVote (vote for existing value or abstain)
  */
-function handleWiredClick(tr, theRow, vHash, newValue, button) {
+async function handleWiredClick(tr, theRow, vHash, newValue, button) {
   if (!tr || !theRow || tr.wait) {
     return;
   }
@@ -117,138 +116,134 @@ function handleWiredClick(tr, theRow, vHash, newValue, button) {
     }
     tr.myProposal = null; // mark any pending proposal as invalid.
   }
-
-  var myUnDefer = function () {
-    tr.wait = false;
-  };
   tr.wait = true;
   cldrInfo.reset();
   theRow.proposedResults = null;
-
   if (CLDR_VOTE_DEBUG) {
-    console.log(
-      "Vote for " + tr.rowHash + " v='" + vHash + "', value='" + value + "'"
-    );
+    logVote(tr.rowHash, vHash, value);
   }
   const ourContent = {
     value: valToShow,
     voteLevelChanged: voteLevelChanged,
   };
   const ourUrl = getSubmitUrl(theRow.xpstrid);
-
-  var originalTrClassName = tr.className;
+  const init = cldrAjax.makePostData(ourContent);
+  const originalTrClassName = tr.className;
   tr.className = "tr_checking1";
-
-  var loadHandler = function (json) {
+  oneMorePendingVote();
+  try {
+    const response = await cldrAjax.doFetch(ourUrl, init);
     /*
      * Restore tr.className, so it stops being 'tr_checking1' immediately on receiving
-     * any response. It may change again below, such as to 'tr_err' or 'tr_checking2'.
+     * any response. It may change again below to 'tr_err' or 'tr_checking2'.
      */
     tr.className = originalTrClassName;
+    if (response.ok) {
+      const json = await response.json();
+      handleVoteOk(json, tr, theRow, button, valToShow);
+    } else {
+      const message = "Server response: " + response.statusText;
+      handleVoteErr(tr, message, button);
+    }
+  } catch (e) {
+    const message = e.name + " - " + e.message;
+    handleVoteErr(tr, message, button);
+  } finally {
+    tr.wait = false;
     oneLessPendingVote();
-    try {
-      if (json.err && json.err.length > 0) {
-        tr.className = "tr_err";
-        tr.innerHTML =
-          "<td colspan='4'>" +
-          cldrStatus.stopIcon() +
-          " Could not check value. Try reloading the page.<br>" +
-          json.err +
-          "</td>";
-        myUnDefer();
-        cldrRetry.handleDisconnect("Error submitting a vote", json);
-      } else {
-        if (json.didVote) {
-          // if submitted..
-          tr.className = "tr_checking2";
-          cldrTable.refreshSingleRow(
-            tr,
-            theRow,
-            function (theRow) {
-              // submit went through. Now show the pop.
-              button.className = "ichoice-o";
-              button.checked = false;
-              cldrSurvey.hideLoader();
-              if (json.testResults && (json.testWarnings || json.testErrors)) {
-                // tried to submit, have errs or warnings.
-                showProposedItem(
-                  tr.inputTd,
-                  tr,
-                  theRow,
-                  valToShow,
-                  json.testResults
-                );
-              }
-              myUnDefer();
-            },
-            function (err) {
-              myUnDefer();
-              cldrRetry.handleDisconnect(err, json);
-            }
-          ); // end refresh-loaded-fcn
-          // end: async
-        } else {
-          // Did not submit. Show errors, etc
-          if (
-            (json.statusAction && json.statusAction != "ALLOW") ||
-            (json.testResults && (json.testWarnings || json.testErrors))
-          ) {
-            showProposedItem(
-              tr.inputTd,
-              tr,
-              theRow,
-              valToShow,
-              json.testResults,
-              json
-            );
-          } // else no errors, not submitted.  Nothing to do.
-          button.className = "ichoice-o";
-          button.checked = false;
-          cldrSurvey.hideLoader();
-          myUnDefer();
-        }
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Handle an OK response. Here "OK" doesn't necessarily mean that the vote succeeded;
+ * it means that we got json, which might have json.err, etc.; json.didVote means
+ * the vote succeeded.
+ *
+ * @param {Object} json the server response
+ * @param {Element} tr the table row
+ * @param {Object} theRow object describing the table row
+ * @param {Element} button the GUI button
+ * @param {String} valToShow the value the user is voting for
+ */
+function handleVoteOk(json, tr, theRow, button, valToShow) {
+  if (json.err && json.err.length > 0) {
+    handleVoteErr(tr, json.err, button);
+  } else if (json.didVote) {
+    handleVoteSubmitted(json, tr, theRow, button, valToShow);
+  } else {
+    handleVoteNotSubmitted(json, tr, theRow, button, valToShow);
+  }
+}
+
+function handleVoteSubmitted(json, tr, theRow, button, valToShow) {
+  tr.className = "tr_checking2";
+  cldrTable.refreshSingleRow(
+    tr,
+    theRow,
+    function (theRow) {
+      // submit went through. Now show the pop.
+      button.className = "ichoice-o";
+      button.checked = false;
+      cldrSurvey.hideLoader();
+      if (json.testResults && (json.testWarnings || json.testErrors)) {
+        // tried to submit, have errs or warnings.
+        showProposedItem(tr.inputTd, tr, theRow, valToShow, json.testResults);
       }
-    } catch (e) {
-      tr.className = "tr_err";
-      tr.innerHTML =
-        cldrStatus.stopIcon() +
-        " Could not check value. Try reloading the page.<br>" +
-        e.message;
-      console.log("Error in ajax post [handleWiredClick] ", e.message);
-      myUnDefer();
-      cldrRetry.handleDisconnect("handleWiredClick:" + e.message, json);
+    },
+    function (err) {
+      cldrRetry.handleDisconnect(err, json);
     }
-  };
-  var errorHandler = function (err) {
-    /*
-     * Restore tr.className, so it stops being 'tr_checking1' immediately on receiving
-     * any response. It may change again below, such as to 'tr_err'.
-     */
-    tr.className = originalTrClassName;
-    oneLessPendingVote();
-    // The err parameter is a string composed by cldrAjax.makeErrorMessage (legacy code),
-    // not user-friendly, still possibly useful for debugging if this actually occurs.
-    console.log("Error: " + err);
-    // To close the input pop-up window with minimal changes to this legacy code, call
-    // cldrLoad.reloadV when the user closes the notification. Postpone a better solution
-    // until cldrVote is modernized.
-    cldrNotify.errorWithCallback(
-      "Error submitting a vote",
-      err,
-      cldrLoad.reloadV
-    );
-    myUnDefer();
-  };
-  const xhrArgs = {
-    url: ourUrl,
-    handleAs: "json",
-    content: ourContent,
-    load: loadHandler,
-    error: errorHandler,
-    timeout: cldrAjax.mediumTimeout(),
-  };
-  oneMorePendingVote();
-  cldrAjax.sendXhr(xhrArgs);
+  );
+}
+
+function handleVoteNotSubmitted(json, tr, theRow, button, valToShow) {
+  if (
+    (json.statusAction && json.statusAction != "ALLOW") ||
+    (json.testResults && (json.testWarnings || json.testErrors))
+  ) {
+    showProposedItem(tr.inputTd, tr, theRow, valToShow, json.testResults, json);
+  }
+  button.className = "ichoice-o";
+  button.checked = false;
+  cldrSurvey.hideLoader();
+}
+
+function handleVoteErr(tr, message, button) {
+  tr.className = "tr_err";
+  tr.innerHTML =
+    "<td colspan='4'>" +
+    cldrStatus.stopIcon() +
+    " Could not check value. Try reloading the page.<br>" +
+    makeSafe(message) +
+    "</td>";
+  cldrRetry.handleDisconnect("Error submitting a vote");
+  button.className = "ichoice-o";
+  button.checked = false;
+  cldrSurvey.hideLoader();
+}
+
+/**
+ * Avoid warning, "Directly writing error messages to a webpage without sanitization allows for a cross-site
+ * scripting vulnerability if parts of the error message can be influenced by a user."
+ *
+ * @param {String} s the raw string
+ * @returns the sanitized string
+ */
+function makeSafe(s) {
+  return s.replace(/[<>&]/g, '');
+}
+
+function logVote(rowHash, vHash, value) {
+  console.log(
+    "Vote for " +
+      rowHash +
+      " v='" +
+      vHash +
+      "', value='" +
+      value +
+      "' time = " +
+      Date.now()
+  );
 }
 
 function getSubmitUrl(xpstrid) {
@@ -375,7 +370,7 @@ function showProposedItem(inTd, tr, theRow, value, tests, json) {
 
     if (!ourItem) {
       var h3 = document.createElement("h3");
-      var span = appendItem(h3, value, "value");
+      appendItem(h3, value, "value");
       h3.className = "span";
       div3.appendChild(h3);
     }
@@ -518,7 +513,12 @@ function oneMorePendingVote() {
   ++pendingVoteCount;
   lastTimeChanged = Date.now();
   if (CLDR_VOTE_DEBUG) {
-    console.log("oneMorePendingVote: ++pendingVoteCount = " + pendingVoteCount);
+    console.log(
+      "oneMorePendingVote: ++pendingVoteCount = " +
+        pendingVoteCount +
+        " time = " +
+        lastTimeChanged
+    );
   }
 }
 
@@ -533,7 +533,12 @@ function oneLessPendingVote() {
   }
   lastTimeChanged = Date.now();
   if (CLDR_VOTE_DEBUG) {
-    console.log("oneLessPendingVote: --pendingVoteCount = " + pendingVoteCount);
+    console.log(
+      "oneLessPendingVote: --pendingVoteCount = " +
+        pendingVoteCount +
+        " time = " +
+        lastTimeChanged
+    );
   }
   if (pendingVoteCount == 0) {
     cldrSurvey.expediteStatusUpdate();
@@ -553,18 +558,24 @@ function oneLessPendingVote() {
 function isBusy() {
   if (pendingVoteCount > 0) {
     if (CLDR_VOTE_DEBUG) {
-      console.log("cldrVote busy: pendingVoteCount = " + pendingVoteCount);
+      console.log(
+        "cldrVote busy: pendingVoteCount = " +
+          pendingVoteCount +
+          " time = " +
+          Date.now()
+      );
     }
     return true;
   }
-  if (Date.now() - lastTimeChanged < 3000) {
+  const time = Date.now();
+  if (time - lastTimeChanged < 3000) {
     if (CLDR_VOTE_DEBUG) {
-      console.log("cldrVote busy: less than 3 seconds elapsed");
+      console.log("cldrVote busy: less than 3 seconds elapsed; time = " + time);
     }
     return true;
   }
   if (CLDR_VOTE_DEBUG) {
-    console.log("cldrVote not busy");
+    console.log("cldrVote not busy; time = " + time);
   }
   return false;
 }