Harwood voters reject data center reviews; 40 of 41 local votes elsewhere back limits

Voters in Harwood, North Dakota, rejected a proposal for tougher checks on large developments, including data centers, on November 3. Ballotpedia's results show 325 votes against and 105 in favor. That means about 76 percent of the 430 ballots cast opposed the change ¹.

The result goes against the national pattern. Data center measures appeared on ballots in 10 states, and Ballotpedia found voters sided with measures limiting or opposing data center development in 40 of 41 local contests it tracked ¹.

What the Harwood amendment would have done

The proposal would have required qualifying projects to get an independent professional review of technical information. It also called for more public information, at least one public hearing, and written findings backed by "substantial" evidence before city approval ¹.

It would not have touched the data center already approved. In September 2025, the Harwood City Council rezoned 320 acres from farmland to light industrial use. That cleared the way for Texas-based Applied Digital to build a multibillion-dollar facility ¹.

The amendment came from a citizen group, Voices of Harwood. It would have changed the city's home-rule charter, which is its local governing document ².

Both sides speak

Mayor Blake Hankey opposed the amendment. He said it was not only about data centers and could have affected other businesses wanting to build in the city. He argued its requirements "would have been financially burdensome to a city our size" ¹.

Mike Swartz, who backed the amendment, said residents had been caught off guard by how fast the project moved ¹. In September he said the measure was aimed at big projects only. "We're not objecting to growth. This is not supposed to stop growth," he said ².

would have been financially burdensome to a city our size.

A report from the Western Organization of Resource Councils, a nonprofit that works with residents worried about development, said the community had raised concerns about noise, water use, air quality, electricity bills and traffic ¹. Applied Digital says data centers bring skilled-trade jobs and add to the tax base ².

Why the vote differs from the national picture

Elsewhere, 27 measures directly limiting data center development or showing local opposition to new projects were approved. Others set zoning rules or required voter approval once a project passed set limits for land, electricity or water use ¹.

Newsweek noted that Harwood's choice was different from towns weighing outright bans or moratoriums. A project was already moving ahead, and city officials warned the rules could reach beyond data centers ¹.

That matters because the Harwood vote is a small sample of 430 ballots. It shows that how a question is worded, and what is already built, can change the outcome. It does not show that voters elsewhere changed their minds.

Newsweek said it had contacted Hankey for further comment ¹. No state or national officials were quoted in either report.

The Record

1. Sep 1, 2025Harwood City Council approved rezoning 320 acres from agricultural to light industrial use for an Applied Digital data center ¹.
2. Sep 10, 2026Voices of Harwood's proposed charter amendment on large industrial projects was set for the November ballot ².
3. Nov 3, 2026Harwood voters rejected the amendment 325 to 105, per Ballotpedia results ¹.

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<h2>Harwood voters reject data center reviews; 40 of 41 local votes elsewhere back limits</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/harwood-voters-reject-data-center-reviews-40-of-41-local-votes-elsewhere-back-limits">The GOP Files</a> on Sunday, November 8, 2026.</em></p> <p>Voters in Harwood, North Dakota, rejected a proposal for tougher checks on large developments, including data centers, on November 3. Ballotpedia&#39;s results show 325 votes against and 105 in favor. That means about 76 percent of the 430 ballots cast opposed the change .</p> <p>The result goes against the national pattern. Data center measures appeared on ballots in 10 states, and Ballotpedia found voters sided with measures limiting or opposing data center development in 40 of 41 local contests it tracked .</p> <h2>What the Harwood amendment would have done</h2> <p>The proposal would have required qualifying projects to get an independent professional review of technical information. It also called for more public information, at least one public hearing, and written findings backed by &quot;substantial&quot; evidence before city approval .</p> <p>It would not have touched the data center already approved. In September 2025, the Harwood City Council rezoned 320 acres from farmland to light industrial use. That cleared the way for Texas-based Applied Digital to build a multibillion-dollar facility .</p> <p>The amendment came from a citizen group, Voices of Harwood. It would have changed the city&#39;s home-rule charter, which is its local governing document .</p> <h2>Both sides speak</h2> <p>Mayor Blake Hankey opposed the amendment. He said it was not only about data centers and could have affected other businesses wanting to build in the city. He argued its requirements &quot;would have been financially burdensome to a city our size&quot; .</p> <p>Mike Swartz, who backed the amendment, said residents had been caught off guard by how fast the project moved . In September he said the measure was aimed at big projects only. &quot;We&#39;re not objecting to growth. This is not supposed to stop growth,&quot; he said .</p> <blockquote><p>would have been financially burdensome to a city our size.</p><p>&mdash; Blake Hankey, Mayor of Harwood, North Dakota</p></blockquote> <p>A report from the Western Organization of Resource Councils, a nonprofit that works with residents worried about development, said the community had raised concerns about noise, water use, air quality, electricity bills and traffic . Applied Digital says data centers bring skilled-trade jobs and add to the tax base .</p> <h2>Why the vote differs from the national picture</h2> <p>Elsewhere, 27 measures directly limiting data center development or showing local opposition to new projects were approved. Others set zoning rules or required voter approval once a project passed set limits for land, electricity or water use .</p> <p>Newsweek noted that Harwood&#39;s choice was different from towns weighing outright bans or moratoriums. A project was already moving ahead, and city officials warned the rules could reach beyond data centers .</p> <p>That matters because the Harwood vote is a small sample of 430 ballots. It shows that how a question is worded, and what is already built, can change the outcome. It does not show that voters elsewhere changed their minds.</p> <p>Newsweek said it had contacted Hankey for further comment . No state or national officials were quoted in either report.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/harwood-voters-reject-data-center-reviews-40-of-41-local-votes-elsewhere-back-limits">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/harwood-voters-reject-data-center-reviews-40-of-41-local-votes-elsewhere-back-limits.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Newsweek, “North Dakota Town Bucks Trend by Voting in Favor of Data Centers” (2026-11-08). newsweek.com/north-dakota-town-bucks-trend-by-voting-in-favo
2. KFGO, “Proposed Harwood charter amendment looking to make industrial negotiations more transparent” (2026-09-10). kfgo.com/2026/09/10/proposed-harwood-charter-amendment-looki

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