Polling firm Wedgewood admits fabricating survey data, calls it a 'social experiment'; aggregators remove polls
Photo: The Guardian USWedgewood Polls, a polling firm, admitted in a social media statement on Tuesday that it fabricated data in surveys during the 2026 election cycle, calling the project a "social experiment." The statement followed an inquiry from the site FiftyPlusOne, which had investigated the firm's data. Wedgewood said the aim was to show the industry's weak oversight and low barrier to entry. Its numbers were cited by outlets and included in databases, including the New York Times, Nate Silver's and Decision Desk HQ's. Decision Desk HQ said it removed 17 polls. Silver said his midterm forecast shifted slightly toward Republicans after he removed the polls, which he said ran about 1 point more favorable to Democrats, and that Wedgewood was permanently banned. His Michigan Senate figure for Abdul El-Sayed fell from 3.6 points to 3. Newsweek said it corrected and retracted stories.
Left-leaning coverage leads with Wedgewood's statement and its argument about failed media vetting, listing outlets that used the polls. Alternative coverage, from Newsweek, focuses on Silver's forecast changes and race-level numbers. Right-leaning coverage differs: Breitbart quotes Wedgewood at length and cites Mallory McMorrow's post that a late-June poll hurt her donations and volunteers before she dropped out, while National Review calls for continued skepticism of polling.
How the sides differ Left sources emphasize the media-vetting critique in Wedgewood's statement; alternative sources stress the forecast impact; right sources highlight the Michigan primary fallout and call for skepticism.
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The Guardian US leads with Wedgewood's admission and its claim that media and aggregators failed to vet polls, naming outlets that used them and citing Decision Desk HQ's removals.
Newsweek centers on Nate Silver's forecast shift after removing the polls, with Michigan and Maine numbers, and notes its own corrections and retractions.
Breitbart quotes Wedgewood's statement and Mallory McMorrow's criticism of the Michigan primary impact; National Review frames it as a real scandal that calls for skeptical appraisal, not dismissing all polling.