Voters in 10 states reject data centers, approve dozens of moratoriums

Voters rejected data-center projects and approved moratoriums in dozens of localities across at least 10 states in Tuesday's midterm elections, according to The Guardian ². The facilities, which house the semiconductor chips that power artificial intelligence, were on the ballot in at least 40 jurisdictions ².

The results were lopsided. Voters approved nearly every data-center moratorium that was on the ballot, dozens in total, with one notable exception: Hardwood, North Dakota, a city of less than 1,000 people, voted down restrictions ². In Ohio alone, at least 14 municipalities passed bans or restrictions, including Sunbury, where Amazon has proposed a $2 million data-center project ². In Maine, eight municipalities passed temporary moratoriums, and in Emporio, Kansas, voters approved a ban on high-impact data centers where a 1,000-acre project had been proposed ².

The issue also shaped races where it was not on the ballot. In Texas, Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa, a Democrat, has promised to impose moratoriums on data-center construction and to require more community input ². Keisha Lance Bottoms, the governor-elect of Georgia, and Amy Acton, the newly elected governor of Ohio, have also pledged moratoriums on large data centers ².

What voters said

In an NBC News exit poll, 23 percent of voters said data centers were "crucial" in their congressional vote, while another 33 percent said they were a "major" factor ¹.

From Channel GOPGina Hinojosa projected winner in Texas governor's raceGina Hinojosa · 156 plays · captioned, with the source named

Brendan Steinhauser, who ran Senator John Cornyn's 2014 campaign and is now chief executive of the Alliance for Secure AI, said the facilities tap into economic anxiety.

Data centers represent a fear and an angst that voters have about being replaced by AI, losing their jobs, losing their livelihoods [and] the rising price of energy in their local area

Lori Lodes, president of the climate advocacy group Climate Power, told reporters the issue was central to the cost-of-living debate.

This is an issue that really defined affordability for folks, and governors, senators, House-elect members all saw it as a huge opportunity

What happens next

Analyst Dan Ives said the results signal that the pace of data-center construction will slow. "There is no way to sugarcoat that Democrats taking control especially over the Senate will create some major hurdles for AI and tech legislation in the Beltway over the next two years," he said ². Ives said he was particularly worried about Hinojosa, whom he called a "known anti-datacenter politician," and about Texas, where he said 25 to 30 percent of data-center capacity will come from ².

Elon Musk, who poured over $400 million into supporting conservative candidates, posted on X: "Data centers in space looking pretty appealing right now" ².

That matters because the moratoriums are local decisions that can delay or block projects the tech industry and its supporters in Washington had counted on. For readers, the votes are a reminder that land-use questions are settled at city halls and county boards as much as in Congress.

The Record

1. Nov 3, 2026Data centers were on the ballot in at least 40 jurisdictions across 10 states ².
2. Nov 3, 2026Voters approved nearly every data-center moratorium on the ballot, with Hardwood, North Dakota, the notable exception ².
3. Nov 4, 2026An NBC News exit poll found 23 percent of voters said data centers were "crucial" in their congressional vote and 33 percent said they were a "major" factor ¹.

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<h2>Voters in 10 states reject data centers, approve dozens of moratoriums</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files National Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/voters-in-10-states-reject-data-centers-approve-dozens-of-moratoriums">The GOP Files</a> on Thursday, November 5, 2026.</em></p> <p>Voters rejected data-center projects and approved moratoriums in dozens of localities across at least 10 states in Tuesday&#39;s midterm elections, according to The Guardian . The facilities, which house the semiconductor chips that power artificial intelligence, were on the ballot in at least 40 jurisdictions .</p> <p>The results were lopsided. Voters approved nearly every data-center moratorium that was on the ballot, dozens in total, with one notable exception: Hardwood, North Dakota, a city of less than 1,000 people, voted down restrictions . In Ohio alone, at least 14 municipalities passed bans or restrictions, including Sunbury, where Amazon has proposed a $2 million data-center project . In Maine, eight municipalities passed temporary moratoriums, and in Emporio, Kansas, voters approved a ban on high-impact data centers where a 1,000-acre project had been proposed .</p> <p>The issue also shaped races where it was not on the ballot. In Texas, Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa, a Democrat, has promised to impose moratoriums on data-center construction and to require more community input . Keisha Lance Bottoms, the governor-elect of Georgia, and Amy Acton, the newly elected governor of Ohio, have also pledged moratoriums on large data centers .</p> <h2>What voters said</h2> <p>In an NBC News exit poll, 23 percent of voters said data centers were &quot;crucial&quot; in their congressional vote, while another 33 percent said they were a &quot;major&quot; factor .</p> <p>Brendan Steinhauser, who ran Senator John Cornyn&#39;s 2014 campaign and is now chief executive of the Alliance for Secure AI, said the facilities tap into economic anxiety.</p> <blockquote><p>Data centers represent a fear and an angst that voters have about being replaced by AI, losing their jobs, losing their livelihoods [and] the rising price of energy in their local area</p><p>&mdash; Brendan Steinhauser, CEO, Alliance for Secure AI</p></blockquote> <p>Lori Lodes, president of the climate advocacy group Climate Power, told reporters the issue was central to the cost-of-living debate.</p> <blockquote><p>This is an issue that really defined affordability for folks, and governors, senators, House-elect members all saw it as a huge opportunity</p><p>&mdash; Lori Lodes, president, Climate Power</p></blockquote> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Analyst Dan Ives said the results signal that the pace of data-center construction will slow. &quot;There is no way to sugarcoat that Democrats taking control especially over the Senate will create some major hurdles for AI and tech legislation in the Beltway over the next two years,&quot; he said . Ives said he was particularly worried about Hinojosa, whom he called a &quot;known anti-datacenter politician,&quot; and about Texas, where he said 25 to 30 percent of data-center capacity will come from .</p> <p>Elon Musk, who poured over $400 million into supporting conservative candidates, posted on X: &quot;Data centers in space looking pretty appealing right now&quot; .</p> <p>That matters because the moratoriums are local decisions that can delay or block projects the tech industry and its supporters in Washington had counted on. For readers, the votes are a reminder that land-use questions are settled at city halls and county boards as much as in Congress.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/voters-in-10-states-reject-data-centers-approve-dozens-of-moratoriums">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/voters-in-10-states-reject-data-centers-approve-dozens-of-moratoriums.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. The Hill, “Blue wave crashes into data centers” (2026-11-04). thehill.com/newsletters/energy-environment/6199755-blue-wave
2. The Guardian, “Datacenters were on the ballot. US voters rejected them” (2026-11-05). theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/04/datacenters-midterm-elec
3. CBS News, “The 2026 blue wave, in charts” (2026-11-05). cbsnews.com/news/2026-elections-blue-wave-charts-data/

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