From New York Post · · 50s
Sick Trolls Admit Fake Polls Helped El-Sayed in Michigan
Trolls admitted to creating fake polls that boosted Abdul El-Sayed's Michigan Senate race.
In brief
Trolls admitted to creating fake polls that boosted Abdul El-Sayed's Michigan Senate race. Wedgewood Polls created fake surveys that helped Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan's Senate race. Originally reported by New York Post.
Wedgewood Polls Confess
Wedgewood Polls admitted to fabricating fake polls after being caught by election experts.
“Having previously worked in the polling and research sector, we watched as the public’s trust in polling eroded alongside a rise in unverified, low-quality methodology”
Fake Polls Boosted El-Sayed
A fake poll from Wedgewood Polls helped Abdul El-Sayed gain support in Michigan's Senate race.
“Sure, a point was proven. Polling is broken. But tens of thousands of people poured their hearts, time, energy, hard-earned money into something they believed in, for a year-and-a-half, and it was treated like a game.”
Mallory McMorrow's Drop
Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow blamed fake polls for her Senate race exit.
“Donations dried up, volunteers were devastated, and I faced distracting questions about when I planned to drop out.”
FCC Warns Broadcasters
Federal Communications Commission warned broadcasters to avoid spreading fake polling data.
“Broadcasters are prohibited by the terms of their federal licenses from engaging in News Distortion or promoting Broadcast Hoaxes.”
Wedgewood's Experiment
Wedgewood Polls created fake polls to test how easily fabricated data could be trusted.
“We wanted to test a simple hypothesis: How easy is it for an entirely fabricated polling firm to gain traction, be taken seriously, and expose how little scrutiny exists in media and public commentary?”
Impact on Campaigns
Fake polls caused donations to dry up and volunteers to lose morale in campaigns.
“Our volunteers gave their all. And then some. I felt like I had let so many of them down.”
The bottom line
Wedgewood Polls created fake surveys that helped Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan's Senate race.
