Voters Across America Reject Data Center Expansion

Clear Facts

• Voters in 40 of 41 ballot measures nationwide rejected new data centers and approved restrictions on development.
• President Trump has maintained that data centers are necessary for competing with China and are “GREAT FOR THE U.S.A.”
• Localities in California, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, North Dakota, New Jersey, Nevada, Ohio, Florida, and Wisconsin all voted against new data center projects.

Voters delivered a clear message on data centers this week. Across the country, communities rejected new projects and demanded stronger oversight.

The results came from 41 separate ballot measures tracked by Ballotpedia. Only one small North Dakota town supported the pro-development side.

Both parties distanced themselves from data center construction. Congressional candidates from both sides avoided the issue, leaving the president as the main voice for expansion.

“GREAT FOR THE U.S.A.”

The president posted that message last month on Truth Social. He argued data centers are essential for national security and economic strength.

California towns, Ohio cities, and Florida communities all passed bans on new facilities. Illinois and Maine voters approved moratoriums to halt further approvals.

The largest city to vote was Joliet, Illinois. Nearly 80 percent of residents rejected any plan to build AI data centers inside city limits.

The single exception came in Harwood, North Dakota, a town of about 850 people near Fargo. Voters rejected a measure that would have required extra review before approving industrial projects including data centers.

Most new data centers are planned for rural areas in the South and Midwest. Pew Research Center reports that expansion is moving away from cities and into smaller communities.

Opposition has grown as residents worry about rising electricity bills. Utility costs are becoming a central issue in local debates.

Republican candidates in Michigan, Ohio, and Texas who supported restrictions all lost their races. Democrats who opposed data centers won those contests.

President Trump continues to argue that communities rejecting data centers will fall behind economically. He has suggested that companies should make direct payments to local governments to gain support.

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