Fake Polls Experiment
Polling firm closes after admitting to releasing fake election surveys for a 'social experiment'.
A polling firm called Median Strategies has shut down after admitting it published fake election surveys as a "social experiment," according to WGME. The firm released made-up polls for two races: the Los Angeles mayoral contest and the Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary.
The fake polls showed LA Mayor Karen Bass and Wisconsin Governor Francesca Hong each leading their rivals by wide margins. Those bogus numbers spread quickly — picked up by social media, local TV newscasts, and online news outlets — before the firm came clean, KOMO News reported.
What the Fake Polls Said and Where They Spread
Median Strategies released surveys showing Bass with a commanding lead in the LA mayoral race. In Wisconsin, the polls showed Hong with a significant lead over her Democratic rival, David Crowley, according to My Fox 28 Columbus. Neither race had been widely polled, which may have made the fake numbers easier to pass off as real.
The false polls were treated as legitimate by multiple outlets before anyone questioned them. They circulated on social media and aired on local TV. No one caught the fraud until after the numbers had already spread through political news circles, ABC6 On Your Side reported.
Median Strategies Calls It a Deliberate Test of the System
Median Strategies said the entire project was planned. The firm stated it was "a short-term social experiment to examine how polling information could enter and spread through the political information ecosystem without independent verification," according to KUTV. In plain terms: they wanted to see if fake polls could fool the press. They did.
The firm said it had no ties to any candidate, political action committee, or party. It also said it was not seeking credit or publicity. Median Strategies declined all interview requests and gave no names of the people involved, WGME reported.
The Experiment Exposes a Real Gap in Poll Verification
The hoax worked because there is no standard system to verify whether a polling firm is real before outlets report its numbers. Median Strategies set up shop, released two polls, watched them spread, and then shut down. The whole operation showed how easy it is to inject false data into political coverage.
Experts have long warned that low-quality or outright fake polls can shape how voters and donors see a race. A big fake lead can discourage rivals, energize a base, or shift media attention — all without a single real survey being conducted. This case put that concern on full display, according to KOMO News.
Firm Shuts Down With No Accountability or Legal Consequence
After releasing its statement, Median Strategies closed up entirely. No individuals were named. No legal action has been publicly announced. The firm left behind two fake polls, a brief written explanation, and a lot of unanswered questions about who was behind it, ABC6 On Your Side reported.
The episode raises a direct question: should there be rules about publishing fake polls? Right now, there are very few guardrails. Anyone can create a firm, release numbers, and disappear. Median Strategies proved that — and then did exactly that.
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