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This post is written in English.
Most AI infrastructure stories are about chips and billions of dollars. This one is about local voters. Ballotpedia counted 38 data centre related local ballot measures in 2026 as of 21 September, and 34 of them were set for the 3 November election.
The picture
| State | Measures |
|---|---|
| Ohio | 20 |
| Illinois | 7 |
| Wisconsin | 3 |
| Kansas | 3 |
| California | 2 |
| Michigan, Nevada, Florida | 1 each |
Most, 31 of 38, came from citizen petitions, and they range from outright bans and moratoriums to zoning decisions and requiring future voter approval. Nine are only advisory.
The four measures decided earlier in 2026 all went the same way: "voters in each case favored greater restrictions on data center development." Some communities have also started recall efforts against officials.
A note on timing
The vote has now happened, and I haven't confirmed the results, so this post only covers the picture beforehand. Counts from other trackers also differ somewhat, depending on date and scope. Check Ballotpedia for outcomes.
My read
Four votes is a small sample, and the groups who bother to petition may not represent everyone. Still, a citizens' petition takes real effort, and 31 of them isn't nothing.
For anyone in AI, it's a useful reality check. Much of the industry's planning treats compute as a matter of money and chips. In practice, it also depends on a township meeting about water, noise and electricity bills. Local concerns like these have often been reasonable, and they deserve better than being treated as an obstacle. It's also part of why some companies are even looking at space.
