Voters in 10 US states to decide data center curbs on Election Day

Centre · 2Voters in 10 US states will decide on Election Day whether to curb data center development in their communities, as the rapid buildout needed to power the AI boom stirs local opposition. 1 2 Centre · 2According to the nonpartisan research group Ballotpedia, voters in 38 local jurisdictions will consider at least 41 measures that would delay, prohibit or impose new requirements on data centers. 1 2 Centre · 2Ohio, one of the country's fastest-growing data center markets, has more such measures than any other state: voters in more than a dozen jurisdictions will consider 21 proposals alongside Tuesday's midterm elections. 1 2

Centre · 2Most states require petition drives or other demonstrations of public support before measures can qualify for the ballot, and their appearance reflects data center opposition across the political spectrum. 1 2 Centre · 2Jessica Baker, a local organizer with the advocacy group Conserve Ohio, said Democrats and Republicans both support banning construction of certain data centers, and that electricity and water demands drive the opposition. She said many residents still do not want the facilities nearby even if developers generate their own power with gas turbines or nuclear reactors, because of health risks to children such as asthma. 1 2 Centre · 2Baron Fung of market research firm Dell'Oro Group said that if Ohio voters approve restrictions, developers are likely to move projects elsewhere rather than abandon them, in an industry already facing years-long grid connection waits and rising construction costs. 1 2

Centre · 2John McWilliams of Cushman & Wakefield said US data center capacity under construction rose 48 per cent from December 2025 to June 2026, measured in gigawatts, which suggests local opposition has not meaningfully slowed the industry. 1 2 Centre · 2In Sunbury, near Columbus, a measure that would ban data centers using more than 25 megawatts of power could derail Amazon's proposed $2 billion development, and Amazon's public policy lead Shannon Kellogg appeared on local television in October to answer questions about it. 1 2 Centre · 2An Amazon spokesperson declined to say whether the ballot initiatives would affect its expansion plans, saying the company's commitment to the communities where it operates remains the same regardless of the outcome of any single measure. 1 2