Midterm elections show broad opposition to data centres

A September poll found that 70 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of Republicans supported limiting new data centre construction. This sentiment was tested in the midterm elections, where voters across the country decided 41 ballot measures related to data centres.

According to Data Centers on the Ballot, an election-monitoring project by Redbud Consulting, voters are on track to reject data centre development in all but one of the contests. Two races remain undecided but are expected to result in majorities opposing or limiting data centres.

Only Harwood, North Dakota, a town with fewer than 800 residents, voted to oppose limits on data centres. The measure it defeated would have required independent reviews of large industrial projects like data centres before they could be built in the area.

Experts say the debate over data centres has become a bipartisan issue, linked to cost-of-living concerns and fears over job stability. A construction boom, driven largely by the growth of the artificial intelligence sector, has raised concerns about economic and environmental impacts.

As of April, there were already 3,000 data centres in the U.S., with over 1,500 more under construction. Data centres consume large amounts of water and energy, which critics say can drive up electricity costs for nearby communities. A 2026 Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas study estimated that wholesale electricity prices had risen by 6.9 percent due to data centres.

Candidates in high-profile races made AI and data-centre development central to their campaigns. Democrat Sherrod Brown, who flipped a key Senate seat in Ohio, attacked Republican incumbent Jon Husted for his support of data-centre development. In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa called for a moratorium on new data-centre approvals until stronger protections for local communities were put in place.

With Democrats poised to control both chambers of Congress, the AI industry is likely to face increased scrutiny. Lawmakers are treating AI as a national security and public safety threat, following a series of alarming security failures. OpenAI and other tech companies have responded with proposals to address voter concerns, including rebranding data centres as 'compute campuses' and pledging to prioritize low-water cooling.