diff --git a/src/actions/polls.test.ts b/src/actions/polls.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d2e424ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/actions/polls.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+// @ts-nocheck
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+const { selectLimit, updateSet, updateWhere } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+	selectLimit: vi.fn(),
+	updateSet: vi.fn(() => ({ where: updateWhere })),
+	updateWhere: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@/lib/db", () => ({
+	db: {
+		select: vi.fn(() => ({
+			from: vi.fn(() => ({
+				where: vi.fn(() => ({ limit: selectLimit })),
+			})),
+		})),
+		update: vi.fn(() => ({ set: updateSet })),
+	},
+	WebsitePoll: {
+		id: "id",
+		title: "title",
+		description: "description",
+		status: "status",
+		showResults: "showResults",
+		multipleChoice: "multipleChoice",
+		startsAt: "startsAt",
+		endsAt: "endsAt",
+	},
+	WebsitePollQuestion: {
+		id: "id",
+		pollId: "pollId",
+		question: "question",
+		type: "type",
+		sortOrder: "sortOrder",
+		options: "options",
+	},
+	WebsitePollVote: { id: "id", questionId: "questionId", userId: "userId" },
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@/lib/permissions", () => ({ PERMS: { POLLS_EDIT: "polls.edit" } }));
+vi.mock("@/lib/services/audit", () => ({ logAudit: vi.fn() }));
+vi.mock("next/cache", () => ({ revalidatePath: vi.fn() }));
+vi.mock("@/lib/safe-action", () => ({
+	adminAction: (options, handler) => async (input) => {
+		const parsed = options.schema.safeParse(input);
+		if (!parsed.success) return { ok: false, error: "Validation failed" };
+		try {
+			return await handler({
+				data: parsed.data,
+				session: { user: { id: "1" } },
+			});
+		} catch (error) {
+			return {
+				ok: false,
+				error: error instanceof Error ? error.message : "Internal server error",
+			};
+		}
+	},
+	authAction: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@/lib/safe-action-shared", () => ({
+	actionOk: (data) => ({ ok: true, data: data ?? {} }),
+	actionError: (error) => ({ ok: false, error }),
+	ActionError: class ActionError extends Error {
+		constructor(message) {
+			super(message);
+			this.name = "ActionError";
+		}
+	},
+}));
+
+import { updatePoll, updatePollQuestion } from "./polls";
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+	vi.clearAllMocks();
+	selectLimit.mockReset();
+	updateSet.mockClear();
+	updateWhere.mockClear();
+});
+
+describe("poll update merge validation", () => {
+	it("rejects a partial end time before the persisted start without updating", async () => {
+		selectLimit.mockResolvedValueOnce([
+			{
+				id: 1,
+				title: "Schedule",
+				description: null,
+				status: "draft",
+				showResults: 1,
+				multipleChoice: 0,
+				startsAt: new Date("2026-09-02T12:00:00.000Z"),
+				endsAt: null,
+			},
+		]);
+
+		const result = await updatePoll({
+			id: 1,
+			endsAt: "2026-09-02T11:59:00.000Z",
+		});
+
+		expect(result).toEqual({ ok: false, error: "Invalid poll schedule" });
+		expect(updateSet).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+	});
+
+	it("rejects a partial options patch for a persisted text question without updating", async () => {
+		selectLimit.mockResolvedValueOnce([
+			{
+				pollId: 1,
+				question: "Why?",
+				type: "text",
+				sortOrder: 0,
+				options: "",
+			},
+		]);
+
+		const result = await updatePollQuestion({ id: 1, options: "Not allowed" });
+
+		expect(result).toEqual({ ok: false, error: "Invalid poll question" });
+		expect(updateSet).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+	});
+});