Voters approved more than 40 measures concerning data center construction and regulation during the Nov. 3 midterm elections, as local opposition to new facilities became a prominent issue in communities across the United States. At least 50 related measures had been proposed in 2026, and 41 went to a vote, according to the source report.
Early returns cited by The Washington Post showed that voters in roughly 30 jurisdictions passed measures to restrict data centers. At least six more jurisdictions voted to ban future construction and stop planned projects. The proposals varied, covering outright bans, temporary moratoriums, zoning rules and requirements for public approval.
Ohio had the largest number of data center-related measures, with 21. Forbes reported that 13 municipalities approved outright bans. Other Ohio communities considered zoning changes or the future of projects already under development; at least 14 municipalities passed bans or restrictions, while six rejected proposals to preserve data center rezoning.
Measures elsewhere included a ban in Alhambra, California, and a charter amendment in Edgewater, Florida, barring new facilities and limiting expansion of existing ones. In Illinois, voters in five townships opposed measures supporting future construction and permitting, while Bloomington approved a data center moratorium. El Dorado, Kansas, passed a 10-year ban on high-impact facilities, defined in the measure as those using more than 100,000 gallons of water per day. Three other Kansas cities also approved high-impact data center bans.
At least three Maine towns approved 180-day moratoriums, including Wiscasset, where voters backed a six-month pause. In New Jersey, a majority of voters in Downe Township opposed data center development. Boulder City, Nevada, rejected permits for facilities in the Eldorado Valley Transfer Area. In Janesville, Wisconsin, voters approved a requirement for a public vote before a data center project costing between $450 million and $8 billion can be approved.
The results may affect plans to expand AI infrastructure, though the measures differ in scope and location. Goldman Sachs economists estimated that about 45 percent of planned U.S. data center capacity expansion would be affected by the new legislation. The report also noted that candidates campaigning against data center projects won in several places, while citing expert expectations that the results could slow infrastructure construction.
Sources: Mashable.