US voters roundly reject data centers in ballot measures

Key Points:

• American voters in over 30 localities across nine states overwhelmingly rejected data center projects through moratoriums, bans, and restrictive measures, signaling strong local opposition to the AI infrastructure buildout.
• Edgewater, Florida, passed a city charter amendment banning data centers, while Perry, Ohio, imposed financial and operational limits on hyperscalers seeking tax incentives.
• Anti-tech and anti-data center messaging featured prominently in more than 130 federal and gubernatorial campaigns, influencing political stances including some Republicans like Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who shifted toward tougher regulation but still lost.
• Financial institutions are increasingly viewing local opposition to data centers as a credit risk, prompting hyperscale operators to hire community liaisons to manage relations and mitigate backlash.
• Tech companies are attempting to rebrand data centers as "compute campuses" to improve public perception, but these efforts have met with mixed success amid growing voter resistance.