From Seattletimes · · 1m
Fake Polls Exposed in Political Trust Crisis
Wedgewood Polls admitted nearly all surveys were fake, sparking trust issues in political polling.
In brief
Wedgewood Polls admitted nearly all surveys were fake, sparking trust issues in political polling. Wedgewood Polls admitted nearly all surveys were fake, causing political campaigns to lose support. Originally reported by Seattletimes.
Wedgewood Polls Admits Fake Surveys
Wedgewood Polls admitted nearly all surveys were fake as an experimental project.
“The whole thing, Wedgewood claimed, was an "experimental project."”
New York Times Removed Polls
The New York Times removed Wedgewood's 15 polls after verifying their identities and methods.
Polling Aggregators Highlighted Fake Data
Polling aggregators like FiftyPlusOne featured Wedgewood's fake polls on their platforms.
Campaigns Suffered from Fake Polls
Mallory McMorrow's campaign lost donations after a fake poll showed her support in single digits.
“I felt like I had let so many of them down.”
Scott Colom Used Fake Polls
Scott Colom's campaign cited a fake poll as evidence of his "massive momentum" in Mississippi.
FiftyPlusOne Verified Inconsistencies
FiftyPlusOne found inconsistencies in Wedgewood's data and replicated one of its polls in Mississippi.
“It’s getting easier to conduct low-quality polls, or fake them altogether.”
The big picture
Wedgewood Polls admitted nearly all surveys were fake, causing political campaigns to lose support.
