Voters rebuff data centers in every ballot measure except one during the 2026 midterms

Across the 2026 midterms, voters rejected data centre proposals in nearly every ballot measure, while candidates who called for pausing or regulating new projects won key races. The results suggest that local concerns about rapid data centre expansion are becoming a political obstacle for an industry investing heavily in AI infrastructure.

The article says communities in eight states voted on data centre issues, and 56% of voters surveyed called them a crucial or major factor in their decisions. Texas featured prominently: Gina Hinojosa defeated Governor Greg Abbott after criticising the state’s data centre buildout, while Elon Musk spent at least $474 million in the election cycle and lost both major Texas races. Tech, AI, crypto and online gambling interests spent heavily overall, but the article reports that voters rebuffed data centres in every ballot measure except one.