The scandal of the exclusion of candidate Diane Sare from the upcoming Spectrum News debate scheduled for October 30th in New York, does not only involve the Spectrum NY1 network, but also the polling agencies themselves. According to Spectrum News, Sare was excluded because she did not achieve 15% in three polls they named. However, the polling companies simply did not include Sare’s name when they called voters to ask their preference for the U.S. Senate race.
This is particularly striking if one considers the other topics these polls have been covering. For instance, the Siena Poll issued a release back on March 24, 2022 with the headline: “Majority, 54%, Say Ukraine War Will Financially Haunt Americans for Years.” They wrote:
“Loudonville, NY—Fifty-four percent of New Yorkers say the war in Ukraine and the international response to it will lead to long-term economic problems resulting in financial difficulties that all Americans will face for years according to a new statewide survey of consumers released today by the Siena College Research Institute (SCRI).”