diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c2abfa80..88d4c43b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ written while it was being built. See [RELEASING.md](RELEASING.md).
 
 ### Fixed
 
+- Participants can see published results after voting has closed; the results
+  page used to fail with an error once an organizer turned voting off.
+
 ## [0.12.1](https://github.com/SwissDataScienceCenter/hackagon/compare/v0.12.0...v0.12.1) - 2026-10-27
 
 ## [0.12.0](https://github.com/SwissDataScienceCenter/hackagon/compare/v0.11.0...v0.12.0) - 2026-10-23
diff --git a/components/backend/internal/service/vote_service.go b/components/backend/internal/service/vote_service.go
index d3b51f80..88e42581 100644
--- a/components/backend/internal/service/vote_service.go
+++ b/components/backend/internal/service/vote_service.go
@@ -48,13 +48,28 @@ func (s *VoteService) ListVoteCategories(
 		return nil, status.Errorf(codes.InvalidArgument, "invalid hackathon_id: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	if err := s.enforcer.RequirePermission(
+	// Results are fetched per category, so anyone who may read results must
+	// also be able to list the categories, even once voting is off.
+	canReadCategories, err := s.enforcer.Enforce(
 		ctx,
 		hackathonID.String(),
 		m.VoteCategory,
 		m.Read,
-	); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		slog.Error("enforce list vote categories", "err", err)
+
+		return nil, status.Error(codes.Internal, "authorization error")
+	}
+	if !canReadCategories {
+		if err := s.enforcer.RequirePermission(
+			ctx,
+			hackathonID.String(),
+			m.VoteResult,
+			m.Read,
+		); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
 
 	categories, err := s.dbClient.VoteCategory.Query().
diff --git a/components/backend/internal/service/vote_service_test.go b/components/backend/internal/service/vote_service_test.go
index 03c9e520..51f74ea7 100644
--- a/components/backend/internal/service/vote_service_test.go
+++ b/components/backend/internal/service/vote_service_test.go
@@ -370,6 +370,55 @@ var _ = Describe("VoteService", func() {
 				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 				Expect(resp.GetVoteCategories()).To(BeEmpty())
 			})
+
+			Context("as a member", func() {
+				var memberCtx context.Context
+				BeforeEach(func() {
+					createVoteCategory(
+						hackathonID,
+						"Best",
+						voteEntities.VotingMethod_VOTING_METHOD_SINGLE_CHOICE,
+						voteEntities.VoterType_VOTER_TYPE_ALL_PARTICIPANTS,
+						nil,
+					)
+					_, kc := createAndJoin(hackathonID, "member")
+					memberCtx = metadata.NewOutgoingContext(
+						context.Background(),
+						metadata.Pairs("authorization", "Bearer "+testutils.CreateTestJWTToken(kc)),
+					)
+				})
+
+				It("lists categories while voting is enabled", func() {
+					setCapabilities(hackathonID, hackathonEntities.Capability_CAPABILITY_VOTE)
+					resp, err := voteClient.ListVoteCategories(
+						memberCtx,
+						&voteMsgs.ListVoteCategoriesRequest{HackathonId: hackathonID},
+					)
+					Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+					Expect(resp.GetVoteCategories()).To(HaveLen(1))
+				})
+
+				It("lists categories when only results are visible", func() {
+					setCapabilities(
+						hackathonID,
+						hackathonEntities.Capability_CAPABILITY_VIEW_RESULTS,
+					)
+					resp, err := voteClient.ListVoteCategories(
+						memberCtx,
+						&voteMsgs.ListVoteCategoriesRequest{HackathonId: hackathonID},
+					)
+					Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+					Expect(resp.GetVoteCategories()).To(HaveLen(1))
+				})
+
+				It("is denied when neither voting nor results are enabled", func() {
+					_, err := voteClient.ListVoteCategories(
+						memberCtx,
+						&voteMsgs.ListVoteCategoriesRequest{HackathonId: hackathonID},
+					)
+					Expect(status.Code(err)).To(Equal(codes.PermissionDenied))
+				})
+			})
 		})
 
 		Describe("EditVoteCategory", func() {
diff --git a/components/frontend/src/routes/(app)/my/hackathon/[id]/results/+page.server.ts b/components/frontend/src/routes/(app)/my/hackathon/[id]/results/+page.server.ts
index f74f1a04..64011ec3 100644
--- a/components/frontend/src/routes/(app)/my/hackathon/[id]/results/+page.server.ts
+++ b/components/frontend/src/routes/(app)/my/hackathon/[id]/results/+page.server.ts
@@ -47,11 +47,25 @@ export const load: PageServerLoad = async (event) => {
   // Every category, including ranked and jury ones the booth cannot cast a
   // vote for — results are results however they were produced, and a category
   // decided elsewhere (a jury meeting off the platform, say) still deserves to
-  // show its podium. Reading a result needs only `vote_result:read`, which the
-  // capability grants to every member.
-  const { voteCategories } = await vote.listVoteCategories({
-    hackathonId: event.params.id,
-  })
+  // show its podium. Listing categories takes `vote_category:read` *or*
+  // `vote_result:read`, and the capability grants the latter to every member,
+  // so this works after voting has closed.
+  //
+  // The catch is a guard, same as the per-category one below: a refusal here
+  // once took the whole page down with a 500. Losing the podiums still leaves
+  // the entries directory.
+  let voteCategories: Awaited<
+    ReturnType<typeof vote.listVoteCategories>
+  >["voteCategories"] = []
+  try {
+    ;({ voteCategories } = await vote.listVoteCategories({
+      hackathonId: event.params.id,
+    }))
+  } catch (e) {
+    if (!(e instanceof ClientError && e.code === Status.PERMISSION_DENIED)) {
+      throw e
+    }
+  }
 
   const categories = await Promise.all(
     voteCategories.map(async (c) => {