Voters Reject Data Center Expansion Across Multiple States During Midterm Elections

Voters across the United States overwhelmingly rejected data center construction and expansion projects during the midterm elections, passing restrictive measures and moratoriums in nearly forty towns and cities spanning ten states.

Ballot initiatives in California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, and Wisconsin resulted in bans or halts on planned facilities. In Joliet, Illinois, nearly eighty percent of voters opposed the construction of artificial intelligence data centers. In Perry, Ohio, voters passed Issue 16 to compel data center developers to secure bonds backing promises of jobs and tax revenue.

In Harwood, North Dakota, a town of approximately eight hundred to eight hundred fifty residents, voters approved a pro-data center measure, standing as the sole exception to the nationwide trend. Gubernatorial races also reflected the shift, as victories by candidates who campaigned on data center moratoriums in states like Texas and Georgia positioned incoming leaders to restrict future computing infrastructure.

The backlash unfolded as tech companies accelerated the physical infrastructure of artificial intelligence, drawing local complaints regarding noise, water consumption, pollution, and electricity costs. Industry officials responded to the political setbacks by questioning the future viability of onshore infrastructure, with SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk posting on social media that data centers in space look appealing.