🔍 Read the full analysis: Voters Said No In 46 Data Center Ballot Votes. What Came Next? on ThorstenMeyerAI.com
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TL;DR
A public tracker listed 47 local data-center measures across 10 states on the Nov. 3 ballot. As of Nov. 5, the anti-data-center outcome led in 46, but the measures ranged from outright bans to advisory questions, and all results remained unofficial.
Voters favored restrictions in 46 of 47 local data-center ballot measures listed by the public tracker Data Centers on the Ballot after the Nov. 3 election, according to unofficial results available Nov. 5. The measures appeared across 10 states, but covered different choices—including bans, temporary pauses, zoning changes and advisory questions—so the tally does not mean voters rejected the same policy everywhere.
The tracker, maintained by polling and data firm Redbud Consulting, classified outcomes as “Restrict” or “Allow” to combine questions with different wording. At 12:30 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 5, it listed 47 measures, with restrictions leading in 46. It said 41 counts were complete for election night and six were still being counted. The results had not been certified.
The tracker’s total vote count was 260,177 votes, with 72.8% cast on the “Restrict” side. That is the tracker’s aggregation, not a single statewide vote or a uniform referendum. Its Nov. 4 morning version listed 45 measures; two were added later—a non-binding question in Belvidere, New Jersey, and a charter amendment in Piqua, Ohio. Ballotpedia counted 41 measures before the vote, using a different scope.
Among the reported outcomes, Hubbard, Ohio, voted 2,622 to 802 for a citywide ban on data centers of any size, according to unofficial figures cited by the tracker and local reporting. In Boulder City, Nevada, voters rejected a proposal to allow data centers on city-owned desert land, 2,064 to 4,947. In Harwood, North Dakota, the only measure where the tracker showed the “Allow” side ahead, voters rejected a proposal to review rules for large projects, 105 to 325. These figures are unofficial.
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.
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Local Votes Shape Data Center Plans
The results point to local approval as a potential site-planning risk for data-center developers, especially where ballot measures create bans, caps, pauses or a requirement for public votes. A project may face more than the usual land-use process if local rules make residents’ approval part of the decision.
The tally should not be read as a single verdict on data centers. Some votes applied to future projects or particular parcels; others set broader rules or asked for public opinion without changing the law. The source material says many measures targeted future development rather than campuses already under construction, but it does not establish the effect of each measure on existing projects.
The underlying debate often pits concerns about water and electricity against arguments about jobs and tax revenue. The ballot questions themselves sometimes specified limits in megawatts or gallons per day. Those local details matter to residents weighing resource demands and to companies evaluating whether a proposed site can proceed.
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Why the Measure Count Changed
The figure of 45 came from the tracker on the morning after the election, when it listed 40 measures with results and five without posted results. It later added the Belvidere and Piqua questions, bringing its total to 47. The tracker’s archived data makes that change visible; the difference is not necessarily a disagreement about election results.
Other counts reflect different definitions. Ballotpedia listed 41 measures in 10 states, while the tracker counted eight Maine town measures rather than four, four Kansas measures rather than three, and two New Jersey measures rather than one. A separate report’s “40+ races across 13 states” included recalls and candidate races, according to the source material, rather than only ballot questions about data centers.
The tracker’s “Restrict” category combines materially different outcomes. The measures included outright bans, size limits—often 25 megawatts—temporary moratoriums, zoning referendums and rules requiring a public vote before approval. Ten of the 47 were described as advisory; 37 were binding. A “yes” or “no” therefore cannot be interpreted consistently without reading the ballot text.
““Nothing on the page is certified.””
— Data Centers on the Ballot tracker
Certification and Local Effects Remain
None of the results had been certified in the tracker’s Nov. 5 update, and six counts were still being tallied. The source report says it independently checked seven results against official election sites in Kansas, Nevada, Florida and North Dakota; those matched the tracker. It did not independently verify all 47, and for the remaining measures it relied on the tracker’s linked sources and local reporting.
The legal and practical consequences also vary. An advisory vote may not change local law by itself, while a binding charter amendment or ban may have a direct effect. The available material does not provide the final legal status or implementation timetable for every measure, nor does it establish how each result affects projects already approved, under construction or proposed.
Certification and Implementation Ahead
The next immediate step is for local election authorities to complete counts and certify results. After that, communities and developers will need to determine how binding measures apply, what processes follow for zoning or permits, and whether any rules face legal challenges. The source material does not identify a common timetable for those steps.
For residents, the practical outcome will depend on the exact wording and legal status of the measure in their community. For businesses, the election is a signal to examine local ballot rules and approval requirements before committing to a site. The 46-to-1 tracker tally may shift if unofficial counts change, but the measures will remain distinct decisions rather than one national vote on data centers.
Key Questions
Did voters reject data centers in 46 places?
Not in one uniform sense. The tracker reported that the restrictive outcome led in 46 of 47 measures, but those measures included bans, limits, pauses, zoning votes and advisory questions. All results were unofficial as of Nov. 5.
Why did some reports say 45 measures and others say 41?
The tracker showed 45 on the morning after the election and later added two measures. Ballotpedia counted 41 using a different scope, including fewer measures in Maine, Kansas and New Jersey.
Which community was the exception?
In Harwood, North Dakota, the tracker showed the “Allow” side ahead. The unofficial result listed 105 votes for a proposal to review rules for large projects and 325 against.
Were all of the measures legally binding?
No. The source report classifies 37 as binding and 10 as advisory. Their effects also varied by wording, so an advisory result should not be treated as an enacted ban or rule.
Are the election results final?
No. The tracker said the results were unofficial and not certified as of Nov. 5, with six counts still in progress.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
