Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass recently shared enthusiastic news about a poll indicating she has a lead of 50% to 39% over City Councilmember Nitya Raman in the upcoming Nov. 3 mayoral runoff. She tweeted a photo of herself with the voting results graphic, stating, “We’re working, we’re showing up, and we’re gaining momentum. Let’s do it, LA!”
However, this upbeat scenario took a dive when it was revealed that the poll—purportedly conducted with 560 Los Angeles voters from July 30 to August 5—was entirely fabricated, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The group behind this untrustworthy poll, calling itself Median Strategies, made a statement declaring that the polling project has ended and will not release further polling data. They added that all previously released polling should be disregarded.
Interestingly, Median Strategies described itself as a short-term social experiment to investigate how misleading information masquerading as polls spreads through political discussions without proper verification. They even included additional fictitious details to their findings, creating a more complex narrative.
For instance, they claimed that of the 16% who reportedly voted for Spencer Pratt, over 85% are now inclined to support Bass in the general election, as noted by the Times.
Furthermore, they claimed that voters were treating Bass, a more centrist candidate, as the familiar choice compared to a challenger from the Democratic Socialist Party. A now-removed section of their website supposedly provided insights into their methodology, which they claimed was documented and transparent.
Spencer Pratt himself had a pointed reaction to the fabricated results, questioning whether his supporters would really switch their votes to someone he characterized as a “crying carpetbagger.” His response drew attention to the absurdity of the situation.
In light of these revelations, Bass’s campaign is pushing for action against those who propagated such misleading information. A spokesperson expressed the need for a thorough investigation into what they described as malicious interference in the electoral process.
The Raman campaign didn’t hold back, accusing Bass of endorsing a fraudulent poll and criticized her administration for failing to appropriately vet their information. They emphasized that Angelenos deserve a leader committed to clear communication and effective governance.
Meanwhile, reports surfaced indicating that Median Strategies had also published fraudulent polling results for other races. They claimed, perhaps somewhat dubiously, that no one involved in their initiatives benefited financially and that their work was not influenced by any external parties.
