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As of Nov. 5, the anti-data-center side was ahead in 46 of 47 local ballot measures across 10 states, according to the Data Centers on the Ballot tracker. The unofficial results cover a mix of binding bans and zoning decisions, temporary pauses and advisory questions; counts are not certified.
Voters or residents were backing restrictions on data centers in 46 of 47 local ballot measures tracked across 10 states after the Nov. 3 election, according to the Data Centers on the Ballot tracker. The results remain unofficial, and the measures vary widely: some would impose binding bans or limits, while others are advisory questions or require further public votes.
The tracker, maintained by polling and data firm Redbud Consulting, reported results for all 47 measures by 12:30 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 5. It said 41 counts were complete for election night and six were still being counted. Across the measures, it tallied 260,177 votes, with 72.8% on the side it labels “Restrict.” The tracker says its results have not been certified.
The scale of individual results varied. In Hubbard, Ohio, an unofficial count showed 2,622 votes for a citywide ban and 802 against, or 76.6% supporting the ban. In Boulder City, Nevada, voters rejected a question that would have allowed data centers on city-owned desert land: 2,064 voted yes and 4,947 voted no, according to the Clark County results cited by the source material.
In Wilmington, Ohio, about four in five voters supported overturning four city council decisions that rezoned rural land for data centers, according to the source material. The measures do not all produce the same legal outcome. The tracker counts 37 binding measures and 10 advisory questions, covering bans, capacity limits, moratoriums, zoning referendums and rules requiring voter approval.
Data Centers On The Ballot What Voters Said No To
Unofficial results show the restriction side ahead across nearly all tracked measures. Their legal effects vary by community.
What the measures can do
Ballot questions covered several kinds of local decisions.
Limit future projects
Binding bans, capacity limits and moratoriums can constrain future development.
Change local approvals
Zoning referendums can reverse decisions or bring project siting back to voters.
Signal public sentiment
Advisory questions express local views without changing rules by themselves.
Why outcomes matter locally
The vote puts community priorities into project planning, with effects shaped by local law.
- Water and energy use
- Jobs and tax revenue
- Limits measured in megawatts or gallons per day
- Possible siting restrictions
- Potential public approval steps
- Different rules for each community
How the tally developed
Sources used different definitions and update times, so their totals are not directly interchangeable.
Local Votes Reshape Data Center Siting
The results point to local approval becoming a practical siting risk for data center developers and the companies that depend on their infrastructure. A binding ban or zoning reversal can constrain where a project is built; a voter-approval rule can add a public decision to the process. The precise effect depends on each measure and local law.
For residents, the votes put competing local priorities directly before voters. The source material says polling by Gallup found opponents most often cite water and energy use, while supporters point to jobs and tax revenue. Ballot language in some communities addressed those concerns through limits measured in megawatts or gallons per day. The election results show choices at the local level, but they do not establish that one concern drove every vote.
Many measures target future projects, rather than data center campuses already under construction. Even so, a requirement for a public vote or a new restriction could affect plans for later development. The tracker’s combined total offers a snapshot of local ballot outcomes, not a single nationwide policy decision.
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Why Election Counts Differ
Different tallies reflect different definitions of what counts as a data center measure. Ballotpedia listed 41 measures in 10 states before the election. The Redbud tracker listed 47 by Nov. 5, including additional Maine, Kansas and New Jersey measures. The source material says the tracker added two measures after election morning: an advisory question in Belvidere, New Jersey, and a charter amendment in Piqua, Ohio.
On the morning of Nov. 4, the tracker showed 45 measures, 40 with results. That count was also reported by Tom’s Hardware and Engadget that day. The tracker later added two measures. Another report, by 404 Media, described “40+ races across 13 states,” a figure that included recalls and candidate races as well as ballot measures. The totals are not directly interchangeable because the sources used different categories and update times.
The source material says its author checked seven results against official election sites in Kansas, Nevada, Florida and North Dakota, and those matched the tracker. The author could not independently verify all 47 results, citing inaccessible county sites and scanned documents, and relied on the tracker and local reporting for the rest.
““Restrict””
— Data Centers on the Ballot tracker
Certification and Local Effects Remain Open
None of the results cited here is certified, and six counts were still underway as of the tracker’s Nov. 5 update. The margin and final outcome of those races could change. The source material does not identify the six measures still counting or give their individual current totals.
The combined figure also does not show how many projects will be blocked, delayed or unaffected. That depends on the exact ballot language, local law, certification, and whether a proposal concerns future development or an existing campus. The source material does not provide a measure-by-measure legal assessment.
Nor can the tally establish a single reason for voters’ choices. Energy and water use, jobs and tax receipts appear in the broader debate, but the results alone do not show which arguments persuaded voters in each community.
Certification Will Clarify Outcomes
County and state election officials must complete their counts and certification processes before the results become final. Until then, the tracker’s totals should be read as an unofficial election snapshot. The six ongoing counts could affect the overall tally, though the information provided does not specify whether any is close.
After certification, local governments will have to apply each measure according to its wording and governing law. In places where voters approved a binding ban, zoning change or public-approval requirement, officials and developers will need to determine how it applies to proposed projects. Advisory questions may signal local sentiment without changing rules by themselves. The source material does not give implementation dates or describe steps already scheduled by the affected governments.
Key Questions
Did voters reject data centers in 46 places?
The tracker reported the restriction side ahead in 46 of 47 measures, not necessarily 46 separate places. Measures and their legal effects differ, and the results were unofficial as of Nov. 5.
Were all the measures binding?
No. The tracker classified 37 as binding and 10 as advisory. The ballot questions included bans, size limits, temporary moratoriums, zoning referendums and public-vote requirements.
Why did some reports count 45 measures and others 41 or 47?
The totals came from different sources, counting rules and update times. The Redbud tracker showed 45 on the morning of Nov. 4, then added two measures; Ballotpedia listed 41 before the election.
Are the results final?
No. The tracker described all results as unofficial on Nov. 5, with six counts still underway. Election officials had not certified the totals cited in the source material.
Source: Thorsten Meyer AI
