From The Boston Globe · · 1m
Fake Polls Expose Survey Trust Gaps
Wedgewood Polls admitted nearly all its surveys were fake, highlighting trust issues in political polling.
In brief
Wedgewood Polls admitted nearly all its surveys were fake, highlighting trust issues in political polling. Wedgewood Polls admitted nearly all its surveys were fake, causing campaign setbacks and raising concerns about polling reliability. Originally reported by The Boston Globe.
Wedgewood Polls Admits Fake Surveys
Wedgewood Polls admitted nearly all its surveys were fake, an 'experimental project' they claimed.
“The whole thing, Wedgewood claimed, was an "experimental project."”
Times Removed Fake Polls
The New York Times removed 15 Wedgewood polls after verifying the firm's identity and methods.
“The Times removed those polls Tuesday night and published an editors’ note that said it had included the Wedgewood polls, 15 in all, after the pollster answered a series of detailed questions from the Times about the pollsters’ identities, methods and funding.”
Second Fake Poll Incident This Year
This was the second time fake polls became news this year, highlighting risks in political polling.
“It was the second time this year that fake polls have become news in the political world, underscoring the risks of misleading or false polling in an era of little-known data firms, hard-to-reach voters and suddenly ubiquitous prediction markets.”
Campaigns Suffered Real Impact
Mallory McMorrow's campaign collapsed after a fake poll showed her support in single digits.
“After a Wedgewood poll in June showed her support in the single digits, Mallory McMorrow, a Michigan state senator who was running in the state’s Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate, said donations dried up and her campaign’s volunteers were left bereft.”
False Momentum Claimed
Scott Colom's campaign falsely cited a fake poll to claim 'massive momentum' in Mississippi.
“Last week in Mississippi, the campaign for Scott Colom, the Democratic nominee for Senate, trumpeted a fake finding from Wedgewood in a news release, citing it as evidence of Colom’s "massive momentum."”
Polling System Under Scrutiny
FiftyPlusOne found inconsistencies in Wedgewood's data, confirming the need for better polling oversight.
“FiftyPlusOne, a polling website run by former employees of FiveThirtyEight, wrote Tuesday night that it had reached out to Wedgewood with a request for comment earlier that day.”
The key point
Wedgewood Polls admitted nearly all its surveys were fake, causing campaign setbacks and raising concerns about polling reliability.
