Multiple Ballot Measures Restricting AI Data Centers Pass Overwhelmingly in US Midterm Elections

Voters across several US jurisdictions cast ballots on data center restrictions during the midterm elections, with early returns showing overwhelming opposition to new facilities. Thirty-three measures curbing data center development have already passed and six more are leading, with only one proposal—an initiative in Harwood, North Dakota, to add extra review processes—failing to pass. With polls showing roughly 70% of Americans oppose expanding AI data centers, the election outcomes pose a clear obstacle to domestic AI infrastructure buildouts.