If you’ve been told your candidate is “down 10” and your vote won’t matter, take a closer look at where that number came from. This election season, a string of polls that showed Democrats running ahead in key races turned out to be completely fabricated, and major news outlets ran them anyway.

15 Fake Polls, Picked Up by the Biggest Names in News

The polling site FiftyPlusOne exposed a group calling itself Wedgewood Polling, which has now admitted that the numbers it published in Georgia, Michigan, Texas and other states were fake. The New York Times admitted to using 15 of Wedgewood’s polls, and USA Today, Newsweek, Politico and MS NOW also picked them up.

Even USA Today conceded that the Wedgewood results “in some cases were slightly more favorable for Democrats than other polls in the same race.” One showed Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff leading Republican Rep. Mike Collins by 10 points in Georgia. When confronted, Wedgewood called the whole thing an “experimental project.”

Wedgewood wasn’t alone. Median Strategies was outed after wildly wrong Wisconsin primary numbers and called itself a “short-term social experiment.” SoCal Strategies took down its website and X account after it was asked who was working for it.

Fake Numbers Have Real Consequences

These polls aren’t harmless. A Michigan Senate candidate said a single Wedgewood poll showing her in single digits dried up support for her campaign: “It was a one-two punch… it killed us.” If a fake poll can sink a campaign, it can also convince voters to stay home.

The FCC Is Paying Attention

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr warned broadcasters that airing fake polls can run afoul of the rules on News Distortion and Broadcast Hoaxes that come with their federal licenses.

“During this election season, there has been a significant surge in entirely Fake Polls and Suppression Polls designed to do nothing more than interfere with the regular functioning of the electoral process and alter the normal patterns of voter turnout and enthusiasm.”

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, on X, October 21, 2026

Polls Don’t Decide Elections. Voters Do.

The only numbers that count are the votes cast. Don’t let a headline built on made-up data keep you home. Make your plan now: check early voting locations and hours, confirm your Election Day polling place, and bring a friend or neighbor with you. Chesterfield, let’s show up.

Source: “Polling Industry’s Collapse Continues: Total Number of Fake Polls Exposed Reaches 15” by Jack Davis, The Western Journal, October 25, 2026.