Missing data leads to conspiracy theory

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This is a funny, small example for anyone who discusses managing missing data in a database. This example also touches on what can go wrong when using someone else's data or you merge datasets.

So, this piece of information made the rounds in August:

A tweet stating that over 20,000 voters in Racine, WI have the same phone number.

This isn't a lie. The voter rolls in Racine had over 20,000 voters with the same phone number.

Which led to measured responses from voting rights experts on Twitter.

A tweet claiming that the phone numbers are part of a conspiracy

A tweet claiming that the phone numbers are part of a conspiracy

A tweet claiming that the phone numbers are part of a conspiracy


Redhibiscus was so close to the truth! I assure you, if you have ever dealt with complicated databases, especially those that have been merged and go back decades, it isn't unusual to fill in missing data with a specific number repeatedly. Here is a fact check from the A.P.:


For full story, see https://apnews.com/article/fact-checking-612360682016?utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=APFactCheck
https://apnews.com/article/fact-checking-612360682016?utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=APFactCheck

This isn't a big lesson for a statistics class, but it is a funny and horrifying example of how database management practices fueled a conspiracy theory. It is also a reminder to carefully document your data, changes to your data, and your missing data practices.



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