🔍 Read the full analysis: What 47 Local Ballots Tell Us About Data Centers And AI on ThorstenMeyerAI.com
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TL;DR
A public tracker lists 47 local data-center measures on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot across 10 states. As of Nov. 5, the side favoring restrictions had won or was leading in 46, but the measures ranged from outright bans to advisory questions, and all results remained unofficial.
Unofficial results from 47 local data-center ballot measures across 10 states show the side favoring restrictions winning or leading in 46, according to the Data Centers on the Ballot tracker. The Nov. 3 votes addressed a range of proposals—including bans, temporary pauses, zoning decisions and advisory questions—so the count does not mean voters made one uniform decision about AI or data centers.
At 12:30 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 5, the tracker listed results for all 47 measures. It classified 46 outcomes as favoring restrictions and one as favoring development. The six measures still being counted were among 41 whose election-night counts the tracker described as complete; none of the results had been certified, amid wider questions about data-center capacity. The tracker’s combined vote tally was 260,177 votes, with 72.8% on the Restrict side. That is the tracker’s classification across different ballot questions, not a single statewide or national referendum.
The tracker, built by polling and data firm Redbud Consulting, had listed 45 measures the morning after the election, when 40 had results. It later added a nonbinding question in Belvidere, New Jersey, and a charter amendment in Piqua, Ohio. Ballotpedia listed 41 measures before the vote, using a different count of which local questions to include. The source material says the difference reflects varying coverage of measures, including Maine, Kansas and New Jersey—not necessarily conflicting vote counts.
Some results illustrate the range. In Hubbard, Ohio, an unofficial count showed 2,622 votes for banning data centers of any size within city limits and 802 against, or 76.6% in favor of the ban. In Boulder City, Nevada, voters rejected a proposal to allow data centers on city-owned desert land, with 4,947 voting no and 2,064 yes, according to the tracker’s cited county result. In Harwood, North Dakota, the measure on review rules for large projects was the sole contest the tracker classified as favoring allowance: 325 voted no and 105 yes. The ballot’s wording and the tracker’s mapping matter when interpreting each result, just as power constraints facing AI data centers add context to local debates.
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 Project Approval
The results point to local consent as a practical site risk for data-center developers. In some places, a proposal now faces a direct ban or a required public vote; in others, voters rejected a particular rezoning or city-land agreement. These measures can affect where projects are permitted and how companies plan for local approvals, but they do not establish a single policy across the 10 states.
The underlying debate involves competing local priorities. The source report says polling by Gallup found opponents naming water and energy use, while supporters cited jobs and tax revenue. Ballot language in some communities put those questions in concrete terms, including limits measured in megawatts or gallons per day. The results show electoral resistance in many of the counted contests, but they do not by themselves establish why each voter chose a particular side or forecast the future of AI infrastructure nationally.
Many measures concerned future projects or proposed land-use changes, rather than facilities already under construction. That distinction affects what the votes can change immediately. A restriction can constrain later proposals without necessarily halting an existing campus, and an advisory vote may express public preference without changing local law on its own.
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A Count Built From Different Ballots
The headline count depends on what qualifies as a data-center measure. Data Centers on the Ballot includes questions directly about data centers, such as zoning referendums, developer agreements, voter-approval rules, bans and size caps. It maps differently worded questions to two broad outcomes, Restrict and Allow, making a combined tally possible while necessarily simplifying distinct local choices. The tracker states that its results are not certified.
The source report says 37 measures were binding and 10 were advisory. The questions covered outright prohibitions, temporary moratoriums, rezoning votes and rules requiring voter approval. Some proposed caps were often set at 25 megawatts, while other measures used different thresholds or addressed specific parcels. A “yes” vote therefore did not mean the same thing everywhere, and the restriction-side label is a way to group outcomes rather than a description of identical policies.
The report author checked seven results against official election sources in Kansas, Nevada, Florida and North Dakota and said they matched the tracker. The author could not independently verify all 47, citing county sites that blocked automated access or posted scanned documents. For remaining results, including Ohio, the report relied on the tracker’s links to county sources and local reporting. That difference in verification coverage is relevant while counts are unofficial.
“Nothing on the page is certified.”
— Data Centers on the Ballot tracker
Certification and Local Effects
None of the results was certified as of Nov. 5, and six counts were still underway. The tracker’s totals may change as election offices complete counting and certify results. The source report independently checked seven contests, not all 47, so the full tally depends on the tracker and the linked local reporting it cites.
The combined figure also has limits: it groups ballots with different wording and legal effects. The source does not provide a measure-by-measure account here of how every result will be implemented, whether any challenges are expected, or which existing projects could be affected. It is also not clear from the tally alone how much of each vote reflected concerns about power, water, employment, tax revenue or other local issues.
Final Counts and Local Implementation
The next milestones are completion and certification of local election results, followed by implementation under each city or county’s laws. Communities will need to clarify how adopted bans, caps, moratoriums and approval rules apply to project applications. Where a vote was advisory, officials may still need to decide whether and how to respond.
For developers and residents, the practical picture will depend on the exact ballot language and local follow-up—not simply on the 46-of-47 headline. The source material does not identify a single national next step or a common implementation timetable. The tracker’s results and county election records remain the reference points as counts are finalized.
Key Questions
What does the 46-of-47 result mean?
It means the Data Centers on the Ballot tracker classified the restriction side as having won or leading in 46 of 47 local measures as of Nov. 5. The results were unofficial, and the measures covered different policies.
Were all 47 votes binding?
No. The source report says 37 measures were binding and 10 were advisory. Advisory questions can record voter sentiment without changing local law by themselves.
Which community was the exception?
The tracker identified Harwood, North Dakota, as the only measure favoring allowance. Its unofficial count was 325 no votes and 105 yes votes on a question about review rules for large projects.
Are the results final?
No. As of Nov. 5, all results were unofficial, six counts were still underway, and certification had not occurred.
Does this mean data centers or AI facilities were banned nationwide?
No. These were local measures across 10 states, with different scopes and legal effects. Some addressed specific sites or future proposals; the tally does not create a nationwide ban.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
