Voters Back Data Center Restrictions In Midterm Ballot Measures
Local measures restricting data centers passed across the US, while candidates faced pressure to address the facilities’ energy use and development.
Voters approved restrictions on data center development in communities across the United States during Tuesday’s midterm elections. According to The Verge and Engadget, 33 of 45 local ballot measures had passed as of Wednesday morning, putting new limits on a type of facility central to AI expansion.
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Local votes bring new limits
Engadget reported that the 45 measures appeared on ballots in 10 states. The approved proposals took different approaches, including bans, temporary pauses, energy-use limits and requirements for public approval before projects could proceed. Its tracker projected that six more restrictions would pass; five localities had not yet posted voting data. Engadget said Harwood, North Dakota, was the only municipality to reject a measure, voting against a proposed requirement for public hearings before approval of large industrial projects such as 100-megawatt data centers.
Ohio saw particularly broad support for restrictions, according to Engadget. Data centers appeared on 20 ballots there, and every restriction had either passed or was projected to pass. Voters in Urbana and Hubbard backed outright bans by 76 percent and 77 percent, respectively. The Verge also reported that several Ohio cities voted to prohibit data centers exceeding 25 megawatts.
Elsewhere, The Verge reported that Wells, Maine, favored a 180-day moratorium on large data centers, backdated to mid-June 2026. El Dorado, Kansas, voted for a 10-year ban on facilities with peak electrical loads above 10 megawatts.
Candidates face pressure on development
The issue also featured in statewide races. The Verge reported that Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa supports a statewide development moratorium, while Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed has called for a pause on new projects until federal protections are in place. In Ohio, Senator-elect Sherrod Brown campaigned against data center tax breaks and argued that projects should require local input.
The election results do not show that opposition to data centers determined those races. The Verge cautioned against drawing a direct line between the backlash and individual victories. It also noted that some winners rejected broader pauses: Florida Governor-elect Byron Donalds opposed an outright ban, and Iowa Governor-elect Rob Sand opposed a moratorium favored by his challenger.
Opposition extends beyond individual projects
The reports cite different polling findings. The Verge said an NBC News Election Day poll found that 76 percent of voters opposed data centers in their communities. Engadget reported that an NBC exit poll found 56 percent said AI and data centers were a crucial or major factor in their congressional vote. Those figures measure different questions, but both indicate the issue had reached voters beyond the communities deciding local measures.
For developers, the immediate result is a patchwork of local rules rather than one national restriction. The ballot outcomes and candidates’ positions suggest that proposals for new facilities may face closer scrutiny over their size, energy needs and community approval.
Sources
This story was compiled by AI from the reports below. Read the originals for the full details.