Data centers lose midterm elections across US
The Verge: Data centers lost the midterms
Data center developers are poised to face a more restrictive building environment after voters across the country voted in candidates who favor moratoriums and ballot measures that put more obstacles on their expansion, delivering a stinging blow to a central pillar of the AI industry. Of voters polled by NBC News on Election Day, 76 percent said they opposed data centers in their communities. Dozens of local communities voted directly to restrict development through ballot mea
What happened
Voters rejected data center expansion in the 2026 midterm elections through ballot measures and by electing candidates who support restrictions or moratoriums. Seventy-six percent of voters polled opposed data centers in their communities, and 33 out of 45 local ballot measures nationwide resulted in restrictions on data center development. Candidates opposing data center development won at federal, state, and local levels.
What each outlet adds
- The Verge ↗: Several states elected governors and senators who campaigned on limiting data center expansion, though some candidates who favored less restrictive approaches still won office.
- Wired AI ↗: Nearly a quarter of voters said data centers were crucial to their vote, and opposition cut across party lines but ultimately benefited Democratic candidates despite the AI and data center industries spending millions to support their opponents.
Why it matters
Data centers are central to the AI industry, and the electoral results mean developers will face a more restrictive building environment going forward. Observers connected voter concerns about data centers to broader worries about AI's effects on energy use, noise, pollution, jobs, prices, and societal impact.
Get smart on it
Voters across the country rejected expansion of data centers in the midterm elections through ballot measures and by electing candidates who support development restrictions or moratoriums. Seventy-six percent of voters polled opposed data centers in their communities, and 33 out of 45 local ballot measures nationwide resulted in restrictions on data center development. This matters because data centers are central to the AI industry, and the electoral results mean developers will face a more restrictive building environment going forward. Several states elected governors and senators who campaigned on limiting data center expansion, though some candidates who favored less restrictive approaches still won office.
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