American Voters Overwhelmingly Reject AI Data Centers
American voters in the 2026 midterms overwhelmingly rejected data center expansion, with ballot measures and anti-data center candidates winning across multiple states. The trend reflects growing public concern over the environmental and social impact of AI infrastructure.
Why it matters
The backlash against data centers signals a potential regulatory and political hurdle for the rapid scaling of AI infrastructure in the United States.
People across America rejected data centers during last night’s midterm election. Proposals related to data centers were explicitly on the ballot in more than 40 races across 13 states. People voted against data centers in 38 of them and counting. Six cities voted to ban data centers outright and 12 put limits on the amount of megawatts such buildings could draw. In addition to specific ballot measures, candidates who supported data centers lost across the country.
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