diff --git a/gittensor/cli/issue_commands/vote.py b/gittensor/cli/issue_commands/vote.py
index 6483fc23..3c289a74 100644
--- a/gittensor/cli/issue_commands/vote.py
+++ b/gittensor/cli/issue_commands/vote.py
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ def vote_list_validators(network: str, rpc_url: str, contract: str, as_json: boo
         import bittensor as bt
 
         from gittensor.validator.issue_competitions.contract_client import (
+            ContractReadError,
             IssueCompetitionContractClient,
         )
 
@@ -269,5 +270,7 @@ def vote_list_validators(network: str, rpc_url: str, contract: str, as_json: boo
             err_console.print('[yellow]No validators whitelisted.[/yellow]')
             err_console.print('[dim]Add validators with: gitt admin add-vali <HOTKEY>[/dim]')
 
+    except ContractReadError as e:
+        handle_exception(as_json=as_json, message=str(e), error_type='read_failed')
     except Exception as e:
         handle_exception(as_json=as_json, message=str(e))
diff --git a/gittensor/validator/issue_competitions/contract_client.py b/gittensor/validator/issue_competitions/contract_client.py
index 3039c9b4..72a755b7 100644
--- a/gittensor/validator/issue_competitions/contract_client.py
+++ b/gittensor/validator/issue_competitions/contract_client.py
@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@ class ContractIssue:
     is_fully_funded: bool
 
 
+class ContractReadError(RuntimeError):
+    """Raised when a contract read cannot produce a trustworthy value."""
+
+
 class IssueCompetitionContractClient:
     """
     Client for interacting with the Issue Bounty smart contract
@@ -808,17 +812,21 @@ def get_validators(self) -> List[str]:
         """Query the list of whitelisted validator hotkeys.
 
         Returns:
-            List of SS58 addresses, or empty list on error.
+            List of SS58 addresses.
+
+        Raises:
+            ContractReadError: If the contract read or response decoding fails.
         """
         try:
             response = self._raw_contract_read('get_validators')
             if response is None:
-                return []
+                raise ContractReadError('Failed to read validator whitelist from contract')
 
             return self._decode_validator_list(response)
+        except ContractReadError:
+            raise
         except Exception as e:
-            bt.logging.error(f'Error fetching validators: {e}')
-            return []
+            raise ContractReadError(f'Failed to read validator whitelist from contract: {e}') from e
 
     def _decode_validator_list(self, response_bytes: bytes) -> List[str]:
         """Decode a SCALE-encoded Vec<AccountId> from clean return bytes.
@@ -827,39 +835,38 @@ def _decode_validator_list(self, response_bytes: bytes) -> List[str]:
         N * 32-byte AccountIds.
         """
         if not response_bytes:
-            return []
-
-        try:
-            offset = 0
-
-            # Read SCALE compact length
-            first_byte = response_bytes[offset]
-            mode = first_byte & 0x03
-            if mode == 0:
-                count = first_byte >> 2
-                offset += 1
-            elif mode == 1:
-                if offset + 2 > len(response_bytes):
-                    return []
-                count = (response_bytes[offset] | (response_bytes[offset + 1] << 8)) >> 2
-                offset += 2
-            else:
-                return []
-
-            validators = []
-            for _ in range(count):
-                if offset + 32 > len(response_bytes):
-                    break
-                account_bytes = response_bytes[offset : offset + 32]
-                ss58 = self.subtensor.substrate.ss58_encode(account_bytes.hex())
-                validators.append(ss58)
-                offset += 32
+            raise ContractReadError('Validator whitelist response was empty')
+
+        offset = 0
+
+        # Read SCALE compact length. `0x00` is a valid empty Vec<AccountId>.
+        first_byte = response_bytes[offset]
+        mode = first_byte & 0x03
+        if mode == 0:
+            count = first_byte >> 2
+            offset += 1
+        elif mode == 1:
+            if offset + 2 > len(response_bytes):
+                raise ContractReadError('Validator whitelist response length was truncated')
+            count = (response_bytes[offset] | (response_bytes[offset + 1] << 8)) >> 2
+            offset += 2
+        else:
+            raise ContractReadError('Validator whitelist response used an unsupported length encoding')
+
+        expected_len = offset + (count * 32)
+        if len(response_bytes) != expected_len:
+            raise ContractReadError(
+                f'Validator whitelist response length mismatch: expected {expected_len} bytes, got {len(response_bytes)}'
+            )
 
-            return validators
+        validators = []
+        for _ in range(count):
+            account_bytes = response_bytes[offset : offset + 32]
+            ss58 = self.subtensor.substrate.ss58_encode(account_bytes.hex())
+            validators.append(ss58)
+            offset += 32
 
-        except Exception as e:
-            bt.logging.error(f'Error decoding validator list: {e}')
-            return []
+        return validators
 
     def set_treasury_hotkey(
         self,
diff --git a/tests/cli/test_vote_list_json.py b/tests/cli/test_vote_list_json.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a22c2a2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cli/test_vote_list_json.py
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+# The MIT License (MIT)
+# Copyright © 2025 Entrius
+
+"""Regression tests for `vote list --json` validator whitelist reads."""
+
+import json
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
+
+
+def _subtensor_with_contract():
+    substrate = MagicMock()
+    substrate.query.return_value = {'contract': True}
+    return SimpleNamespace(substrate=substrate)
+
+
+def test_vote_list_json_raw_read_none_returns_read_failed(cli_root, runner):
+    """A failed raw validator read must not look like a successful empty whitelist."""
+    with (
+        patch(
+            'gittensor.cli.issue_commands.vote._resolve_contract_and_network',
+            return_value=('5Fakeaddr', 'ws://x', 'test'),
+        ),
+        patch('bittensor.Subtensor', return_value=_subtensor_with_contract()),
+        patch(
+            'gittensor.validator.issue_competitions.contract_client.IssueCompetitionContractClient._raw_contract_read',
+            return_value=None,
+        ),
+    ):
+        result = runner.invoke(cli_root, ['vote', 'list', '--json'], catch_exceptions=False)
+
+    assert result.exit_code != 0
+
+    payload = json.loads(result.stdout)
+    assert payload['success'] is False
+    assert payload['error']['type'] == 'read_failed'
+    assert 'validator whitelist' in payload['error']['message']
+    assert 'validators' not in payload
+
+
+def test_vote_list_json_raw_read_exception_returns_read_failed(cli_root, runner):
+    """RPC exceptions from the validator whitelist read must surface as read failures."""
+    with (
+        patch(
+            'gittensor.cli.issue_commands.vote._resolve_contract_and_network',
+            return_value=('5Fakeaddr', 'ws://x', 'test'),
+        ),
+        patch('bittensor.Subtensor', return_value=_subtensor_with_contract()),
+        patch(
+            'gittensor.validator.issue_competitions.contract_client.IssueCompetitionContractClient._raw_contract_read',
+            side_effect=ConnectionRefusedError('[Errno 111] Connection refused'),
+        ),
+    ):
+        result = runner.invoke(cli_root, ['vote', 'list', '--json'], catch_exceptions=False)
+
+    assert result.exit_code != 0
+
+    payload = json.loads(result.stdout)
+    assert payload['success'] is False
+    assert payload['error']['type'] == 'read_failed'
+    assert 'Connection refused' in payload['error']['message']
+    assert 'validators' not in payload
+
+
+def test_vote_list_json_malformed_validator_payload_returns_read_failed(cli_root, runner):
+    """Malformed validator Vec payloads must not be reported as a valid empty whitelist."""
+    with (
+        patch(
+            'gittensor.cli.issue_commands.vote._resolve_contract_and_network',
+            return_value=('5Fakeaddr', 'ws://x', 'test'),
+        ),
+        patch('bittensor.Subtensor', return_value=_subtensor_with_contract()),
+        patch(
+            'gittensor.validator.issue_competitions.contract_client.IssueCompetitionContractClient._raw_contract_read',
+            return_value=b'\x04',
+        ),
+    ):
+        result = runner.invoke(cli_root, ['vote', 'list', '--json'], catch_exceptions=False)
+
+    assert result.exit_code != 0
+
+    payload = json.loads(result.stdout)
+    assert payload['success'] is False
+    assert payload['error']['type'] == 'read_failed'
+    assert 'length mismatch' in payload['error']['message']
+    assert 'validators' not in payload
+
+
+def test_vote_list_json_empty_validator_vec_still_succeeds(cli_root, runner):
+    """A reachable contract with an encoded empty Vec<AccountId> remains a successful empty whitelist."""
+    with (
+        patch(
+            'gittensor.cli.issue_commands.vote._resolve_contract_and_network',
+            return_value=('5Fakeaddr', 'ws://x', 'test'),
+        ),
+        patch('bittensor.Subtensor', return_value=_subtensor_with_contract()),
+        patch(
+            'gittensor.validator.issue_competitions.contract_client.IssueCompetitionContractClient._raw_contract_read',
+            return_value=b'\x00',
+        ),
+    ):
+        result = runner.invoke(cli_root, ['vote', 'list', '--json'], catch_exceptions=False)
+
+    assert result.exit_code == 0
+
+    payload = json.loads(result.stdout)
+    assert payload == {
+        'success': True,
+        'validators': [],
+        'count': 0,
+        'consensus_threshold': 0,
+    }