In the US and Israel - pollsters have become players in the political arena

Yuval Albashan analyzes the impact of polls on politics in the US and Israel, focusing on a fake Wedgewood poll that changed the race in Michigan and the collapse of polling models in Israel. He argues that polls are a political force shaping reality and calls for regulatory boundaries.

Yuval Albashan writes in Israel Hayom about the impact of polls on politics in the US and Israel. He opens with the story of Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan who calls the war in Gaza 'genocide,' and describes how a fake poll by Wedgewood caused his rival Mallory McMorrow to drop out. The company admitted the poll was a 'social experiment,' but it was published by major media outlets. In Israel, Albashan points to the collapse of polling models on election night and polls that 'priced' Benny Gantz below the electoral threshold, forcing him to withdraw. He compares the lack of oversight in Israel and the US to regulation in France, Canada, and the UK, arguing that polls are not just predictions but a political force shaping reality.

In the US and Israel - pollsters have become players in the political arena