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As of Nov. 5, the Data Centers on the Ballot tracker listed 47 local measures in 10 states, with the side favoring restrictions winning or leading in 46. The questions ranged from outright bans to advisory votes, and six counts were still underway; all results were unofficial.
Voters in 10 states considered 47 local measures concerning data centers on Nov. 3, and the side favoring restrictions had won or was leading in 46 of them as of Nov. 5, according to the Data Centers on the Ballot tracker. The results point to strong local resistance across a varied set of proposals, but they remain unofficial, and the measures do not all impose the same limits.
The tracker, maintained by polling and data firm Redbud Consulting, reported that 41 counts were complete for election night and six were still being counted. Across the measures, it tallied 260,177 votes, with 72.8% on the side it labels “Restrict.” The tracker says its figures are not certified.
The number of measures in early coverage changed as results came in. At 6:16 a.m. Eastern on Nov. 4, the tracker listed 45 measures, with results posted for 40. It later added a nonbinding question in Belvidere, New Jersey, and a charter amendment in Piqua, Ohio, bringing its total to 47. Ballotpedia had listed 41 measures before the vote; differing counts reflect how organizations classified and counted local questions.
Seven results checked against official county or state election sources in Kansas, Nevada, Florida and North Dakota matched the tracker, according to the source report. Examples include Hubbard, Ohio, where an unofficial count showed 2,622 votes for a citywide ban and 802 against, and Boulder City, Nevada, where voters rejected a proposal to allow data centers on city-owned desert land by 4,947 to 2,064. These examples are unofficial; the source report says it could not independently verify all 47 results.
What Was Really at Stake in Local Data Center Votes?
Local measures showed broad support for restrictions, but their legal effects varied. Results were unofficial as of November 5, 2026.
One tally, different legal effects
The tracker grouped separate local questions under “Restrict” and “Allow.”
- 37 measures could change local rules.
- They included bans, caps, pauses, rezoning decisions and voter-approval requirements.
- 10 measures recorded voters’ views.
- They do not enact restrictions on their own.
What communities weighed
The source report summarized concerns and benefits cited in Gallup polling.
Water and energy
These were concerns respondents cited, not measured effects of each project.
Jobs and tax revenue
These were cited benefits, not outcomes established by the vote totals.
How to read the results
All tracker results were unofficial, and six counts remained underway.
The effect depends on its wording and whether it is binding or advisory.
Local decisions will determine when restrictions apply and which projects they affect.
Local Approval Becomes a Site Risk
The results suggest that data center proposals may face growing local approval hurdles, especially where ballot measures give voters direct authority over zoning, land sales or project limits. For companies choosing sites, the votes can affect where future campuses may be built and what steps a project must clear before construction.
The practical effect depends on the measure. Some votes establish binding restrictions; others ask for public input without changing policy on their own. Measures include outright bans, caps often set at 25 megawatts, temporary pauses, zoning referendums and rules requiring voter approval for certain projects. A broad tally shows the direction of local sentiment, but it does not establish that all proposed projects have been stopped.
The ballot language also reflects a debate over the costs and benefits communities associate with large facilities. The source report says polling by Gallup found opponents citing water and energy use, while supporters cited jobs and tax revenue. Those are attributed views, not findings established by the election totals. The votes show decisions on local proposals; they do not, by themselves, measure actual resource use or economic outcomes.
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What the Ballots Actually Asked
The 47 measures were not a single statewide referendum. They were separate local questions grouped by the tracker because their ballot text concerned data centers. The tracker maps varied wording to two outcomes, “Restrict” and “Allow,” so its combined count includes different types of decisions.
According to the source report, 37 measures were binding and 10 were advisory. Binding questions included bans, size limits, moratoriums, rezoning decisions and requirements for a public vote. Advisory questions record voters’ views but do not themselves enact a restriction. That distinction matters when translating an overall result into what local governments or developers must do next.
Some ballots addressed a specific parcel or proposed agreement, while others set broader rules for future projects. The tracker’s Nov. 4 snapshot was the basis for early reports of 45 measures. Its later additions explain why the Nov. 5 total reached 47, while Ballotpedia’s earlier total of 41 reflects a different count. The source report also notes that another outlet’s count of “40+ races across 13 states” included recalls and candidate races, which are outside the tracker’s measure count.
“Nothing on the page is certified.”
— Data Centers on the Ballot tracker, maintained by Redbud Consulting
Counts and Legal Effects Remain Open
As of Nov. 5, six counts were still underway, and none of the tracker’s results was certified. The final margins may change. The source report independently checked seven results against official election sites; it relied on the tracker and local reporting for the rest, including measures in Ohio.
The headline tally also does not establish a uniform policy shift. The source material identifies 37 measures as binding and 10 as advisory, but the legal effect of each binding result depends on its wording and local process. It is not clear from the source material which measures face legal challenges, when any restrictions will take effect, or how individual governments will implement them.
The polling context has limits as well: the source report gives no sample size, field dates or question wording for the Gallup findings it summarizes. The reported concerns should be treated as views attributed to respondents, not as evidence that every project would produce a particular level of water use, energy demand, employment or revenue.
Certification and Local Follow-Through
Election officials still need to complete counts and certify results. Until then, the 46-of-47 tally remains a snapshot based on unofficial returns, with six measures still being counted on Nov. 5.
After certification, local governments and affected developers will need to follow the rules attached to each measure. That may involve applying a ban or cap, observing a temporary moratorium, revisiting a rezoning decision, or arranging a public vote where required. For advisory questions, officials will have to decide what weight to give the result under local rules.
The next clear picture will come from certified totals and decisions about implementation. The source material does not set out a shared timetable for those steps, so when specific restrictions take effect—and what projects they affect—remains a local question.
Key Questions
How many local data center measures were on the Nov. 3 ballot?
The Data Centers on the Ballot tracker listed 47 measures in 10 states as of Nov. 5. Other organizations reported different totals because they counted or classified measures differently.
Did voters oppose data centers in all 47 measures?
No. The tracker said the restrictive side won or was leading in 46 of 47. Harwood, North Dakota, was the exception in that tally. All results were unofficial as of Nov. 5, and six counts remained underway.
Did all the votes create binding restrictions?
No. The source report classifies 37 measures as binding and 10 as advisory. The binding measures also varied, covering bans, caps, moratoriums, rezoning and voter-approval requirements.
Were the results independently verified?
The source report says it checked seven results against official election sources in Kansas, Nevada, Florida and North Dakota and found they matched the tracker. It did not independently verify every measure, and the tracker’s results were not certified.
Source: Thorsten Meyer AI
