Story perspectives

Poll Firms Admit Fabricating 2026 Election Polls

8/21/2026

Left

Polling Firms Fabricate

Two polling firms—Median Strategies and The Public Sentiment Institute—admitted fabricating or altering poll results in the 2026 elections.
The revelations show how fake polls can mislead voters and erode confidence in democratic information.
Median Strategies was run by 21-year-old Rahil Prakash, who called it an experiment testing polls.
The Public Sentiment Institute altered text-message responses, shifting Jay Collins supporters to favor James Fishback.

Right

Polling Firms Fabricate

Median Strategies and The Public Sentiment Institute admitted fabricating or altering poll results in the 2026 elections.
Both firms said the falsified polls were a short-term social experiment, stressing the data were not deliberately fabricated.
Median Strategies closed, withdrew all polls, and reiterated they were part of the experiment.
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) won Florida’s Republican gubernatorial primary, defeating James Fishback and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins.

Blindspot

Florida’s Republican primary results showed that Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) won, defeating James Fishback and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins.
Within this story's sources, this outcome appears mainly in Right-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Left-leaning coverage.

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Polling Firms Fabricate

Two polling firms—Median Strategies and The Public Sentiment Institute—admitted fabricating or altering poll results in the 2026 elections.
The revelations show how fake polls can mislead voters and erode confidence in democratic information.
Median Strategies was run by 21-year-old Rahil Prakash, who called it an experiment testing polls.
The Public Sentiment Institute altered text-message responses, shifting Jay Collins supporters to favor James Fishback.

1 / 3