Fabricated political polls raise concerns ahead of United States midterm elections

Fabricated political polling has gained widespread attention during the midterm election period in the United States, Al Jazeera reported. Fraudulent firms have released fictitious survey results that were picked up by news outlets and polling trackers. These fabricated surveys are increasing tensions within the country's polarized political environment. [1]

The fake datasets can be used to cast doubt on the electoral process, according to Al Jazeera. Furthermore, when bad actors are exposed, their existence can be used to undermine voter confidence in election information as a whole. The latest example occurred earlier in October 2026 when Wedgewood Polls admitted on social media that its statistics were fake. [1]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Wedgewood Polls admitted that its results were not legitimate and claimed the fake data was an experiment to reveal vulnerabilities in the polling industry and media reporting. The fake surveys artificially boosted progressive candidates and impacted the Michigan Senate primary between Abdul El-Sayed and Mallory McMorrow. McMorrow stated that her campaign was affected by the fraudulent polling. [2][3]

The United States midterm elections are scheduled to take place on November 3, 2026. [2][3]