By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
WASHINGTON — Voters across the United States delivered a significant setback to the data center industry in Tuesday’s midterm elections, with results from 38 of 39 reported local ballot measures favoring restrictions on development as communities increasingly challenged the construction of large artificial intelligence facilities.
The results followed months of disputes over the electricity demands, water consumption, environmental effects and financial incentives associated with data centers being developed by major technology companies.
According to a nationwide ballot measure tracker published by The GridSight, voters in 10 states considered 41 local measures involving data center development on Nov. 3. Of the 39 contests with reported results by Wednesday, 38 favored limiting development or rejecting proposals that would facilitate construction.
The only reported exception was in Harwood, North Dakota, where voters rejected a proposal requiring additional review of certain industrial developments.
The results were particularly striking because the ballot questions took different forms. Some proposed outright bans on new data centers, others sought temporary construction moratoriums, and several would have required voter approval before local governments could authorize major projects.
In communities where residents were asked to approve zoning changes or development agreements favorable to data center construction, voters repeatedly rejected those proposals.
An analysis published by Fast Company found that at least 70% of voters supported restrictions in 28 of the 38 contests for which Ballotpedia had reported results.
In Edgewater, Florida, approximately 77.6% of voters approved a charter amendment prohibiting new data centers and the expansion of existing facilities.
In Ashville, Ohio, more than 81% of voters rejected an agreement involving data center developer EdgeConneX and proposed facilities covering nearly 200 acres.
In Grove City, Ohio, approximately 55% supported requiring public approval for certain development projects, demonstrating that restrictions also attracted majorities in more closely contested communities.
Ohio accounted for 21 of the 41 data center measures appearing on ballots Tuesday, more than any other state.
According to Ballotpedia’s election analysis, the proposals appeared in Ohio, Illinois, Maine, Kansas, California, Florida, North Dakota, New Jersey, Nevada and Wisconsin.
Opposition extended beyond individual ballot initiatives.
A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll conducted before the election found that approximately seven in 10 Americans opposed constructing new data centers in their communities.
Separately, polling reported by The Verge indicated that approximately 76% of respondents opposed local data center development.
Those figures measure public attitudes toward nearby facilities, rather than demonstrating that 77% of all Americans voted against artificial intelligence expansion.
The distinction is significant because many voters support artificial intelligence technologies while opposing large industrial facilities near residential neighborhoods.
The debate centers partly on electricity consumption.
Large data centers can require substantial amounts of power to operate servers, networking equipment and cooling systems. Facilities supporting advanced artificial intelligence models may place particularly high demands on regional electrical infrastructure.
Residents have questioned whether utilities will pass the costs of new transmission lines, power generation and grid improvements to existing customers.
Water consumption has also become a concern, particularly in areas where cooling systems rely on significant withdrawals from municipal supplies.
Opponents have additionally raised questions about noise, air pollution from backup generators, industrial land use and whether promised employment opportunities justify the infrastructure costs.
Supporters of data center development argue that the facilities can generate tax revenue, attract investment, strengthen technological infrastructure and create construction and permanent employment opportunities.
Technology companies have also argued that expanding domestic computing capacity is essential to American competitiveness in artificial intelligence.
However, Tuesday’s results demonstrated substantial resistance to allowing construction without additional local oversight.
In Alhambra, California, voters supported a proposed data center ban by more than 80% in early returns. In Bloomington, Illinois, approximately 77.6% supported an advisory measure calling for a moratorium on large data centers.
In Joliet Township, Illinois, nearly four in five voters favored development restrictions, according to The Washington Post.
The issue also influenced several gubernatorial and congressional contests.
In Texas, Democratic Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa campaigned on restricting new data center development until the state could evaluate electricity demand and strengthen protections for residential ratepayers.
Her victory over Republican Gov. Greg Abbott created uncertainty for technology companies planning major investments in Texas, one of the nation’s largest markets for new data center construction.
Other candidates who supported greater scrutiny of the industry also won races in Michigan, Georgia, Ohio and Nevada.
Although the issue crossed party lines, Democrats increasingly incorporated concerns about data center development into broader campaign arguments involving affordability, utility bills and corporate accountability.
President Donald Trump has supported expanding American artificial intelligence infrastructure, arguing that additional computing capacity is necessary to compete with China and other countries.
His administration has pursued policies intended to accelerate construction and reduce permitting obstacles for major technology projects.
The incoming Democratic congressional majorities could revisit those policies, potentially examining federal incentives, environmental requirements and the costs associated with expanding electrical infrastructure.
The opposition is not limited to large technology companies or one political party. Residents in both Republican- and Democratic-leaning communities supported local restrictions during Tuesday’s elections.
The results also follow six earlier data center-related ballot measures decided in 2026, all of which favored greater limits on development, according to Ballotpedia.
Additional measures are scheduled for December, meaning the year’s overall results remain incomplete.
The Nov. 3 totals also remain unofficial in some jurisdictions pending local certification.
For data center developers, the immediate consequences will depend on the wording of individual measures. Some prohibit certain facilities outright, while others temporarily suspend approvals or establish additional public review requirements.
Nevertheless, the election results demonstrate that opposition to large-scale data center development has become an important local political issue.
With 38 of 39 reported midterm ballot measures favoring restrictions, technology companies face growing pressure to address electricity costs, water use, community concerns and public participation before proceeding with major artificial intelligence infrastructure projects.
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