Editing Push poll (section)

== Examples ==

=== {{anchor|Political push polls: [[Australia]]}} Australia ===
In March 2011, [[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|''The Daily Telegraph'']] reported that the [[Australian Labor Party]] was referred to the [[New South Wales]] Electoral Commission after it was alleged to have used "push polling" in Newcastle to discredit independent candidate [[John Stuart Tate]]. Labor Party officials employed a market research firm to conduct the polling, telling voters that Tate was the Labor mayor of Newcastle when in fact he was not. It has been suggested that Labor was worried its brand was so damaged in one of its traditional seats that it branded the popular independent as one of its own to discredit him. Labor polling firm Fieldworks Market Research admitted to the ''Telegraph'' that the script used when calling voters branded Tate a "Labor" candidate, but said the Labor Party provided the script.<ref>Benson, Simon (March 16, 2011). Labor accused of smear candidate's name. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/labor-accused-of-smear-candidates-name/story-fn6b3v4f-1226022099138</ref> It is not publicly known whether the Electoral Commission responded to this referral.

=== {{anchor|Political push polls: United States}} United States ===

Political consultant [[Lee Atwater]] was well known for using push-polling among his aggressive campaign tactics. He apologised for this in later life.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gravely Ill, Atwater Offers Apology |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/13/us/gravely-ill-atwater-offers-apology.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 13, 1991}}</ref>

[[George W. Bush]] used push polls in his 1994 bid for Texas Governor against incumbent [[Ann Richards]]. Callers asked voters "whether they would be more or less likely to vote for Governor Richards if they knew that lesbians dominated on her staff".<ref>''Test by Fire: the War Presidency of George W. Bush'' by Robert H. Swansbrough (2008), p. 47. {{ISBN|978-0-230-60100-0}}.</ref>

In the [[Republican Party presidential primaries, 2000|2000 United States Republican Party primaries]], it was alleged that Bush's campaign used push polling against Senator [[John McCain]]. Voters in [[South Carolina]] reportedly were asked, "Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for John McCain for president if you knew he had fathered an illegitimate black child?" This hypothetical question seemed like a suggestion, although without substance. It was heard by thousands of primary voters.<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/03/21/the_anatomy_of_a_smear_campaign/ "The anatomy of a smear campaign"]. ''The Boston Globe''</ref>

In the 2008 presidential election, Jewish voters in several states were targeted by various push polls that linked [[Barack Obama]] to various anti-[[Israel]] positions. For example, various push polls suggested that Obama was a Muslim; that his church was anti-American and anti-Israel; that he often met pro-Palestinian leaders in Chicago (and had met [[Palestine Liberation Organization|PLO]] leaders); that a [[Hamas]] leader had endorsed him; and that he had called for a summit of Muslim nations excluding Israel if elected president. The Jewish Council for Education and Research, an organization that endorsed Obama, denounced the push polls as disinformation and lies.<ref>Smith, Ben (September 15, 2008). Jewish voters complain of anti-Obama poll. http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0908/Jewish_voters_complain_of_antiObama_poll.html?showall</ref>

Amid widespread controversy over the [[Executive Order 13769|Trump administration's executive order]] restricting immigration from the [[Middle East]], the Republican Party sent out a poll to supporters on February 17, 2017, titled "Mainstream Media Accountability", which included such questions as "Do you believe that the media unfairly reported on President Trump’s executive order temporarily restricting people entering our country from nations compromised by radical Islamic terrorism?" and "Were you aware that a poll was released revealing that a majority of Americans actually supported President Trump's temporary restriction executive order?" Trump's campaign used similar tactics throughout the [[2020 United States presidential election]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dailydot.com/layer8/trump-media-accountability-survey-democrats-liberals/|title=Donald Trump is upset that Democrats are taking his biased survey on media bias|date=2017-02-18|newspaper=The Daily Dot|access-date=2017-02-19|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://action.donaldjtrump.com/mainstream-media-accountability-survey/|title=Mainstream Media Accountability Survey|website=GOP|language=en|access-date=2017-02-19}}</ref>

=== United Kingdom ===
In "[[The Ministerial Broadcast]]", a 1986 episode of the satirical television program ''[[Yes, Prime Minister]]'', the Prime Minister's [[Cabinet Secretary (United Kingdom)|Cabinet Secretary]], [[Sir Humphrey Appleby]] (portrayed by [[Nigel Hawthorne]]), demonstrates push polling to the Prime Minister's [[Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Principal Private Secretary]], [[Bernard Woolley]] (portrayed by [[Derek Fowlds]]), with respect to the policy of reintroducing [[National Service in the United Kingdom|National Service]]:<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=20 February 2024 |title=Yes Prime Minister, questionnaire design matters |url=https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/yes-prime-minister-questionnaire-design-matters |website=Ipsos}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Questions asked by the pollster
!In support
!In opposition
|-
|
# "Are you worried about the number of young people without jobs?"
# "Are you worried about the rise in crime among teenagers?"
# "Do you think there's a lack of discipline in our [[comprehensive schools]]?"
# "Do you think young people would welcome some authority and leadership in their lives?"
# "Do you think young people respond well to a challenge?"
# "Would you be in favour of reintroducing national service?"
|
# "Are you worried about the danger of war?"
# "Are you worried about the growth of armaments?"
# "Do you think there's a danger in giving young people guns and teaching them how to kill?"
# "Do you think it's wrong to force people to take up arms against their will?"
# "Would you be opposed to the reintroducion of national service?"
|}
Appleby demonstrates that, with Woolley answering in the affirmative to the leading questions, he would find it difficult to argue against the desired policy. Appleby then alleges that disreputable polling companies would discard the leading questions and provide only the results for the main question.<ref name=":0" />

In 2024, polling firm [[Ipsos]] released two 1,000-respondent polls demonstrating that, if the first set of questions was asked, the reintroduction of national service had a 45% to 38% margin of support, whereas if the second set of questions was asked, reintroduction was opposed by a margin of 48% to 34%. Ipsos's polling was meant to demonstrate the danger of push-polling—especially in [[2024 United Kingdom general election|an election year]]—and promote the resiliency of [[British Polling Council]] rules that seek to prevent it.<ref name=":0" />