🔍 Read the full analysis: The 46 Local Votes Against Data Centers: What They Covered on ThorstenMeyerAI.com
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TL;DR
A public tracker lists 47 local data center measures on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot across 10 states. Unofficial results as of Nov. 5 show the restrictive side winning or leading in 46; the measures ranged from outright bans to advisory questions, and six counts were still underway.
Voters in 10 states considered 47 local ballot measures about data centers on Nov. 3, and the side favoring restrictions was winning or leading in 46 of them, according to an updated public tracker. The measures covered substantially different decisions—from outright bans and project-size limits to zoning changes, temporary pauses and advisory questions—and all results remained unofficial as of Nov. 5.
The tracker, Data Centers on the Ballot, is maintained by Redbud Consulting and groups differently worded questions into two outcomes: “Restrict” and “Allow.” At 12:30 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 5, it listed 47 measures with results posted. It said 41 counts were complete and six were still being counted. Across the measures, the tracker reported 260,177 votes, with 72.8% on the restrictive side. That is a pooled total across local questions, not a single statewide vote.
The count had changed since election night. At 6:16 a.m. Eastern on Nov. 4, the tracker showed 45 measures, 40 with results: the restrictive side was ahead in 39, the permissive side in one, and five had no results posted. The tracker later added a nonbinding question in Belvidere, New Jersey, and a charter amendment in Piqua, Ohio. Ballotpedia had counted 41 measures before the election; its tally differed because it included fewer measures in Maine, Kansas and New Jersey. Another report’s “40+ races across 13 states” included candidate and recall contests, not just ballot measures about data centers.
The source article says its author checked seven results against official election sites in Kansas, Nevada, Florida and North Dakota, and found they matched the tracker. Examples include Hubbard, Ohio, where unofficial totals were 2,622 votes for a ban and 802 against, and Boulder City, Nevada, where voters rejected allowing data centers on city-owned desert land, 4,947 to 2,064. The article also cites local reporting on Hubbard. The author said the other results were not all independently verified; the tracker links to county sources, while some election sites were difficult to access or posted scanned documents.
Infographic 01 · Data centers on the ballot
Where “45 measures” comes from
One public tracker did the counting. Its numbers grew as results and late additions came in. We checked seven results against official election sites.
local ballot measures on data centers went against them on unofficial counts, 5 Nov 2026, 12:30 p.m. ET. The one exception: Harwood, North Dakota.
- 3 NovBallotpedia: 41 measuresListed before the vote · 10 states
- 4 Nov, 6:16 a.m.Tracker: 45 measures40 with results · 39 against data centers, 1 for
- 4 NovHeadlines: “45 measures”33 won, 6 leading, 1 lost, 5 not reported
- 5 Nov, 12:30 p.m.Tracker: 47 measuresAll with results · 46 against, 1 for · 6 still counting
- Emporia, KSban over 10 MW · Lyon County4,346 : 2,891
- Americus, KSban · Lyon County274 : 127
- El Dorado, KSten-year ban · Butler County2,972 : 1,183
- Ottawa, KSban over 25 MW · Franklin County2,882 : 1,129
- Edgewater, FLcharter ban · Volusia County7,875 : 2,328
- Boulder City, NVallow data centers? · Clark County2,064 : 4,947
- Harwood, NDreview rules · ND Secretary of State105 : 325
Yes : No, unofficial. All seven match the tracker to the vote.
- Ballotpedia lists 4 Maine measures, the tracker 8; Kansas 3 vs 4; New Jersey 1 vs 2. That is the gap from 41 to 47.
- The tracker added Belvidere (NJ) and Piqua (OH) after the first reports, so 45 became 47.
- 404 Media’s “40+ races in 13 states” also counts recalls and candidate races.
- Wilmington, Ohio alone accounts for 4 measures: one vote per rezoned parcel.
Sources: Data Centers on the Ballot (Redbud Consulting), 5 Nov 2026, 12:30 p.m. ET · Ballotpedia, 3 Nov 2026 · official results of Lyon, Butler and Franklin County (KS), Volusia County (FL), Clark County (NV), North Dakota Secretary of State. Nothing is certified yet.
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Local Votes Shape Data Center Plans
The results show that local approval can be a direct constraint on proposed data center development, but they do not amount to one uniform national decision. Depending on the measure, a vote may bar a class of projects, change zoning for a particular site, set a size threshold or require voters to approve a future proposal. For developers and local officials, the legal effect depends on the ballot language and the status of the count.
The source article describes a debate over the infrastructure and economic effects of data centers. It says opponents in Gallup polling cited water and energy use, while supporters cited jobs and tax revenue. The ballot language itself sometimes set limits using measures such as megawatts or gallons per day. Those concerns help explain why the votes matter to residents, but they do not establish that every local measure was motivated by the same issue or that every proposal would have the same impact.
Many of the measures addressed future projects rather than facilities already under construction, according to the source. A restrictive result could mean a future developer must change a proposal, pursue another site or seek voter approval. The specific consequence cannot be inferred from the aggregate tally alone; each measure’s wording and local rules determine what happens next.
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What the Ballots Actually Covered
The tracker counts questions whose ballot text concerns data centers, including bans, megawatt caps, zoning referendums, developer agreements, voter-approval requirements and advisory questions. It maps “yes” and “no” votes to restrictive or permissive outcomes so the measures can be counted together. That method makes a broad tally possible, but the categories do not mean that each vote had the same legal force.
The source divides the 47 measures into 37 binding measures and 10 advisory questions. Binding proposals included outright prohibitions, size caps—often at 25 megawatts—temporary moratoriums and zoning decisions. Other questions sought public input without themselves changing local law. Hubbard’s proposal, for example, asked whether data centers of any size should be banned within city limits. Boulder City’s Question 1 asked whether data centers should be allowed on city-owned desert land. Those are different questions, even though the tracker places both outcomes on its restrictive-permissive scale.
The headline number also depends on what is counted. The tracker’s scope and later additions explain why its figure reached 47, while Ballotpedia’s election-day list had 41. The source says the tracker’s own results page states that its figures are not certified. Its totals are a snapshot of unofficial local counts, not a final official canvass.
Counts and Legal Effects Remain Open
Certification was pending for all results in the source material. Six of the 47 measures were still being counted as of 12:30 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 5, and the tracker described 41 counts as complete for election night rather than certified. The one measure where the restrictive side did not lead was in Harwood, North Dakota, where the question concerned review rules for large projects; the reported unofficial count was 105 yes to 325 no.
The source author independently checked seven results, not all 47. The remaining figures rely on the tracker’s linked election sources and, in some cases, local reporting. It is also not clear from the aggregate tally what legal steps follow each result, whether any result will face a challenge, or how local governments will implement measures that pass. Those details depend on the text of each measure and local procedures.
The 72.8% figure combines votes across many separate questions. It should not be read as the share of voters nationwide—or even in every participating town—who oppose data centers. The source does not provide a comparable baseline for the pooled total, and local turnout and ballot wording vary.
Official Canvasses Will Settle Results
The next step is completion of local vote counts and certification by election authorities. Until then, the tracker’s 46-of-47 figure remains an unofficial snapshot dated Nov. 5. Readers should check the relevant county or state election office for certified totals and consult the text of the local measure to determine its effect.
After certification, cities and towns will have to apply any approved restrictions, zoning changes, pauses or approval requirements under their local rules. The source material does not give a single implementation timetable or identify a shared next hearing across the jurisdictions. For proposed projects, the practical next steps will vary by location and by whether the vote was binding or advisory.
Key Questions
What does the 46-of-47 figure mean?
It means the restrictive side was winning or leading in 46 of the 47 measures listed by the Redbud Consulting tracker as of 12:30 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 5, 2026. The results were unofficial, and six counts were still underway.
Did all 47 votes ban data centers?
No. The measures included bans, size caps, temporary moratoriums, zoning questions, voter-approval rules and advisory questions. An advisory vote may not change local law by itself, and a zoning referendum is narrower than a citywide ban.
Why did reports give different totals?
They counted different sets of questions. The tracker added two measures after election morning, while Ballotpedia listed 41 and included fewer measures in Maine, Kansas and New Jersey. Some broader race counts also included recalls and candidate contests.
Are the results certified?
No. The source material describes the tracker’s figures as unofficial. Election authorities still needed to complete and certify results, and the tracker reported six counts in progress on Nov. 5.
Which community was the exception?
Harwood, North Dakota, was the one measure where the restrictive side was not leading. The unofficial count cited in the source was 105 yes to 325 no on a question about review rules for large projects.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
