🔍 Read the full analysis: What Voters Decided About Data Centers In 46 Of 47 Local Ballot Votes on ThorstenMeyerAI.com
Get movie nights delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
TL;DR
A public tracker lists 47 local data-center measures on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot and says the restriction side won or leads in 46, with Harwood, North Dakota, the exception. All results are unofficial, and the measures range from bans and zoning votes to advisory questions; they do not represent one nationwide decision on data centers.
Voters in 46 of 47 local data-center ballot measures favored restrictions or were on track to do so, according to unofficial results listed by the Data Centers on the Ballot tracker as of Nov. 5. The measures in 10 states covered different policies, including outright bans, zoning decisions and temporary pauses, so the tally does not mean voters made one uniform decision about data centers.
The tracker, built by polling and data firm Redbud Consulting, listed 47 local measures on the Nov. 3 ballot and results for all of them by Nov. 5. Its “Restrict” category covers outcomes opposing or limiting data-center development; “Allow” covers outcomes favoring it. The tracker reported that 41 results were complete and six were still being counted. It marked every result unofficial and said none had been certified.
The combined vote totals listed by the tracker were 260,177 votes, with 72.8% on the Restrict side. That is an aggregate across measures with different wording and effects, not a single statewide or national vote. The one measure where the Allow side won or led was in Harwood, North Dakota, on review rules for large projects, where the unofficial count was 325 votes against and 105 in favor.
Some of the individual results showed clear support for restrictions. In Hubbard, Ohio, voters supported a citywide ban covering data centers of any size by 2,622 to 802, according to the unofficial count; local reporting described the result as 76% to 24%. In Boulder City, Nevada, voters rejected a proposal to allow data centers on city-owned desert land, with 4,947 voting no and 2,064 voting yes, according to the Clark County figures cited in the source report. In Wilmington, Ohio, voters overturned four council decisions that had rezoned rural land for data centers, according to the report.
Infographic 01 · Data centers on the ballot
Where “45 measures” comes from
One public tracker did the counting. Its numbers grew as results and late additions came in. We checked seven results against official election sites.
local ballot measures on data centers went against them on unofficial counts, 5 Nov 2026, 12:30 p.m. ET. The one exception: Harwood, North Dakota.
- 3 NovBallotpedia: 41 measuresListed before the vote · 10 states
- 4 Nov, 6:16 a.m.Tracker: 45 measures40 with results · 39 against data centers, 1 for
- 4 NovHeadlines: “45 measures”33 won, 6 leading, 1 lost, 5 not reported
- 5 Nov, 12:30 p.m.Tracker: 47 measuresAll with results · 46 against, 1 for · 6 still counting
- Emporia, KSban over 10 MW · Lyon County4,346 : 2,891
- Americus, KSban · Lyon County274 : 127
- El Dorado, KSten-year ban · Butler County2,972 : 1,183
- Ottawa, KSban over 25 MW · Franklin County2,882 : 1,129
- Edgewater, FLcharter ban · Volusia County7,875 : 2,328
- Boulder City, NVallow data centers? · Clark County2,064 : 4,947
- Harwood, NDreview rules · ND Secretary of State105 : 325
Yes : No, unofficial. All seven match the tracker to the vote.
- Ballotpedia lists 4 Maine measures, the tracker 8; Kansas 3 vs 4; New Jersey 1 vs 2. That is the gap from 41 to 47.
- The tracker added Belvidere (NJ) and Piqua (OH) after the first reports, so 45 became 47.
- 404 Media’s “40+ races in 13 states” also counts recalls and candidate races.
- Wilmington, Ohio alone accounts for 4 measures: one vote per rezoned parcel.
Sources: Data Centers on the Ballot (Redbud Consulting), 5 Nov 2026, 12:30 p.m. ET · Ballotpedia, 3 Nov 2026 · official results of Lyon, Butler and Franklin County (KS), Volusia County (FL), Clark County (NV), North Dakota Secretary of State. Nothing is certified yet.
Powered by Thorsten Meyer AI
Local Votes Reshape Data Center Siting
The results point to local consent becoming a practical hurdle for some proposed data-center projects. Measures adopted by voters can block particular sites, change zoning, set size limits or require another public vote before a project proceeds. For developers and local officials, that means a proposal may face a ballot process as well as planning and permitting review.
The consequences depend on the specific measure. The source report says many votes concern future projects, rather than campuses already under construction, but it does not establish the status of every project affected. Voters and businesses also weigh competing concerns: the report cites polling in which opponents name water and energy use, while supporters cite jobs and tax revenue. Those are arguments about the effects of development, not findings established by this vote tally.
Popular right now
Ninja Mega Kitchen System Blender and Food Processor, 1500W, 72-oz Pitcher, 8-Cup Bowl, Black (BL770)
Samsung 65-Inch The Frame Pro Neo QLED 4K TV (2026) Bundle with Modern Brown Bezel, HDMI Cables, and Home Theater Guide
Dreame G10 Pro Wet and Dry Vacuum Mop
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Why the Count Changed From 45
The widely reported figure of 45 measures reflected an earlier snapshot, not a different election. At 6:16 a.m. Eastern on Nov. 4, the Redbud tracker listed 45 measures, 40 with results. It later added two: a non-binding question in Belvidere, New Jersey, and a charter amendment in Piqua, Ohio. By 12:30 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 5, it listed 47 measures, all with results posted.
Other tallies used different definitions. Ballotpedia listed 41 measures on election day, while the Redbud tracker included four Maine town measures where Ballotpedia listed one, an additional Kansas measure and an additional New Jersey measure. A separate “40+ races” figure cited in the source report included recalls and candidate races, not only data-center ballot questions. These counts are not directly interchangeable.
The measures themselves also differed substantially. The source report describes 37 as binding and 10 as advisory. The ballot questions included outright bans, caps often set at 25 megawatts, temporary moratoriums, referendums on rezoning and rules requiring voter approval. An advisory question can register public sentiment without changing local law by itself; a binding measure can have a direct legal effect, subject to its terms and applicable processes.
“The tracker groups outcomes as “Restrict” or “Allow.””
— Data Centers on the Ballot, a tracker built by Redbud Consulting
Certification and Measure-by-Measure Effects
Final certified results are not available in the source material. Six measures were still counting as of Nov. 5, and the tracker said its figures were unofficial. The report independently checked seven results against official election sources; it said those figures matched the tracker, but it did not independently verify all 47.
The exact legal and practical effect of each outcome also depends on its ballot language and local process. The source report does not provide full text or implementation details for every measure, nor does it identify the status of every proposed or existing data-center project affected. The aggregate result cannot establish how many projects will be blocked, delayed or changed.
Final Counts and Local Implementation
The next milestones are completion and certification of the remaining counts, followed by local implementation of measures that pass. Communities and project developers will need to determine how binding bans, zoning changes, caps, moratoriums and voter-approval rules apply to specific proposals. The source material does not give a common timetable for certification or implementation across the 10 states, so those steps will vary by jurisdiction.
As official results are finalized, the 46-of-47 figure may be confirmed or revised. Readers should distinguish that final tally from the earlier 45-measure snapshot and from broader race counts that include other kinds of contests.
Key Questions
Did voters reject all data centers in 46 places?
No. The tracker’s 46-of-47 tally combines different outcomes favoring restrictions, including bans, zoning decisions, caps, pauses and advisory questions. It does not mean every community imposed a complete ban.
Are the results final?
No. The figures were unofficial as of Nov. 5, 2026. The tracker said six measures were still counting and that none of its results was certified.
Why did reports give different totals, such as 41, 45 and 47?
The totals reflect different counting methods and timing. The Redbud tracker rose from 45 to 47 after adding two measures; Ballotpedia listed 41 using a different set of included questions.
Which place was the exception to the restriction-side trend?
Harwood, North Dakota, was the one measure where the Allow side won or led in the tracker’s unofficial results. The vote concerned review rules for large projects.
What happens to projects affected by the votes?
That depends on each measure’s wording, legal status and local implementation. The source report says many measures address future projects, but it does not establish the status or outcome for every individual development.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
