Voters in 10 states backed restrictions on data center construction in nearly every local ballot measure put to a vote during the 2026 midterms, according to Ballotpedia and results gathered by CNBC. The sole exception was Harwood, North Dakota, where voters rejected a proposed charter amendment requiring additional review of industrial developments, including data centers.
Ohio was a key battleground, with 21 local measures on the issue. Democrat Sherrod Brown also defeated Republican Sen. Jon Husted after making data centers a focus of his campaign, while Democrat Amy Acton won the governor’s race. Acton has supported a “conditional moratorium” on new data centers, saying developers should cover all utility costs and use union labor.
The results come as large technology companies plan substantial investments in AI infrastructure. OpenAI announced in August that it had secured 8 gigawatts of computing capacity at the PORTS-Pike Technology Campus in Ohio. Construction on the first phase is slated to begin this year, with capacity expected to come online in stages from 2028, according to the project’s website.
Ballot measures also went before voters in California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, New Jersey, Nevada and Wisconsin. A CNBC Voter Poll found that 56% of respondents considered data centers a crucial or major factor in their voting decisions, with Democrats ranking the issue higher than Republicans.
Democrats who campaigned on pausing or regulating data center projects won key races in Ohio, Wisconsin, Georgia and Texas. In Texas, Gina Hinojosa defeated Gov. Greg Abbott after criticizing the rapid expansion of data centers in the state and arguing that local communities had been put behind technology companies’ interests.
The election results also prompted calls for greater scrutiny of AI companies. Rep. Greg Casar said AI executives should testify under oath, arguing that protecting Americans from the effects of AI should be a priority for the incoming Democratic House majority.
Sources: CNBC Markets.