Voters reject data centers in nearly 50 ballot initiatives during midterms in major setback to AI bigwigs | Latest Tech News
Voters overwhelmingly rejected AI data centers on election night time – dealing a major setback to Elon Musk and other tech bigwigs pushing a large buildout.
At least 50 ballot measures dealing with data centers — either permitting them or limiting them — had been up for consideration in states around the nation. Voters determined against centers in 47 instances, with the end result of three votes still pending as of Wednesday afternoon, according to data compiled by Ballotpedia.
The lone favorable consequence for the tech sector occurred in Harwood, ND, where local voters shot down a measure that would have imposed extra review necessities on industrial websites, including data centers, before they’ll transfer ahead.
An indication against the construction of a data heart stands in a discipline in Leavenworth County, Kan., on Tuesday. REUTERS
The largest data heart rebuke occurred in Ohio, where 21 ballot measures associated to controversial websites had been up for consideration. Democratic candidate Sherrod Brown centered closely on the issue in his profitable senatorial bid, portray Republican opponent Jon (*50*) as the “face of data centers.”
The nationwide rejection of data centers coincided with a “blue tsunami” for Democrats, who secured majorities in the House and Senate in a gorgeous rout.
Texas Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa, who defeated longtime incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott, has backed a moratorium on data heart tasks with an emphasis on making sure the services don’t pressure the ability grid.
The consequence of the data heart ballot initiatives may give members of the one hundred and twentieth Congress impetus to impose regulation on the websites, according to Ed Mills, a coverage analyst for investment firm Raymond James.
Protesters rally against data centers in Effingham County, Ga., in August 2026. USA TODAY Network via GWN Connect
“If they consistently see there’s an issue that voters support overwhelmingly, that is going to be their position,” he told the Washington Post.
Top tech executives, such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, are anticipated to come under the microscope with Democrats firmly entrenched in energy in Washington.
“Data centers in space looking pretty appealing right now,” Musk, a major Republican donor, wrote on X, referring to one of his pet tasks at SpaceX.
Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico speaks during a news convention on July 22 in Austin, Texas. Getty Images
Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Greg Casar, head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, wrote on X that “AI company CEOs should be called to testify under oath.”
“The revolt against data centers was one of the top issues of the 2026 election, and in a few years we will look back on it as just the early tremor of a much bigger AI earthquake upending American politics,” Casar said.
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