Fake Polling Firm’s “Social Experiment” Revealed

Median Strategies, a self-described polling outfit, publicly admitted that its recent surveys of Los Angeles mayoral and Wisconsin gubernatorial races were fabricated. In a statement posted on the firm’s website, the organization said the project was a short-term social experiment intended to test how unverified polling data could circulate within the political information ecosystem. It announced that it would cease publishing further polls and that all previously released results should be withdrawn and not treated as genuine.

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The firm released a poll that claimed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass held a 12-point advantage over challenger Nithya Raman ahead of the November runoff. The poll was said to be based on a survey of 560 Los Angeles voters conducted between July 30 and early August, with a reported 4.1 percent margin of error. It also asserted that 16 percent of respondents indicated support for Republican candidate Spencer Pratt, and that the majority of those (85 percent) would switch to Bass in the general election, while 7 percent would move to Raman.

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A second poll projected a 23-point lead for Wisconsin Democratic socialist candidate Francesca Hong over primary opponent David Crowley.

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After repeated inquiries from the Los Angeles Times, Median Strategies clarified that the purported poll was “nothing of the kind.” The organization emphasized that it was not seeking publicity for any individuals involved and declined interview requests. All earlier releases were retracted, and the firm pledged not to issue additional polling data.

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The episode illustrates how fabricated polling can briefly infiltrate media coverage and public discourse, especially when presented with conventional statistical details such as sample size and margin of error. By labeling the effort a “social experiment,” Median Strategies highlighted vulnerabilities in the verification processes that news outlets and analysts rely on when evaluating poll results. The incident underscores the need for rigorous independent verification before polling data are disseminated, particularly in tightly contested elections.

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