Polling Firm Admits to Fabricating Election Polls
Source reports published 22 Oct 2026, 3:50 am – 8:50 am AEST
A company, Wedgewood Polling, admitted to creating and distributing false election polls. This revelation, prompted by an analysis website, led to the removal of the fabricated data from numerous news outlets and raised concerns about media vetting.
What happened
- Wedgewood Polling, established in June 2026, fabricated election polls and disseminated them through various channels, including FiftyPlusOne and The New York Times.
- The company, run by Jack Sims and Andrew Prater, stated its intention was an experiment to test the vulnerability of the political polling industry.
- Following scrutiny by FiftyPlusOne, Wedgewood Polling acknowledged the deception.
- Brendan Carr, head of the Federal Communications Commission, warned TV networks about potential regulatory violations related to airing ‘fake polls.’
- Concerns were previously raised by Straight Arrow News and Urban Milwaukee about Wedgewood Polling’s reliability, citing the firm’s lack of transparency and previous fraudulent activity by Median Strategies.
- Mallory McMorrow, a Democratic state senator in Michigan, suspended her campaign following the impact of the fabricated polls.
Original reporting
- Washington Examiner: Where false polling from Wedgewood might have misled campaigns
2026-10-21T17:50:05+00:00 - PBS NewsHour: A company says its polls were fake. Here's what happened
2026-10-21T22:50:18+00:00