Data Center Ballot Measures Fail in 40 of 41 Votes Across 10 States

During the 2026 midterm elections, voters rejected data center construction restrictions in 40 out of 41 local ballot measures across 10 states. Only Harwood, North Dakota, sided differently by rejecting an amendment that would have added review requirements for industrial developments including data centers.

In Ohio, which had 21 measures related to data centers, Democrat Sherrod Brown unseated Republican Jon Husted and Democrat Amy Acton won governor, supporting tighter controls on data center projects. Ohio is central to AI data center growth, with OpenAI securing 8 gigawatts of capacity at the PORTS-Pike Technology Campus, planned to start phased operations in 2028. The project involves SoftBank, the U.S. Department of Energy, and Nvidia, with potential costs exceeding $500 billion.

The ballot results complicate expansion plans for AI data centers amid rising operational costs and community pushback. The hyperscalers Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta have been investing heavily in AI infrastructure despite some turning cash flow negative. This widespread voter resistance may slow new data center projects in multiple states.

This matters to investors as these developments could delay or increase costs for companies like OpenAI stakeholders and major chipmakers, affecting the timeline and profitability of AI infrastructure expansion. The election results highlight local community influence on technology infrastructure growth and associated capital expenditures.