🔍 Read the full analysis: The Real Meaning Of 46 Local Votes Against Data Centers on ThorstenMeyerAI.com
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TL;DR
A public tracker counted 47 local data-center measures across 10 states on Nov. 3, with the side favoring restrictions winning or leading in 46 as of Nov. 5. The measures differ substantially: some impose bans or zoning limits, while others are temporary, advisory or require future voter approval. Results remain unofficial, and six counts were still underway.
Unofficial results from the Nov. 3 election show the side favoring limits on data centers won or was leading in 46 of 47 local measures across 10 states, according to the public tracker Data Centers on the Ballot. The tally points to widespread local resistance, but it does not mean voters passed 46 identical bans: the measures range from prohibitions and zoning decisions to temporary pauses and advisory questions, and six results were still being counted as of Nov. 5.
The tracker, built by polling and data firm Redbud Consulting, reported 47 measures with results as of 12:30 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 5. It classified each result as either “Restrict” or “Allow” based on the measure’s intended effect. Across the measures, it counted 260,177 votes, with 72.8% on the restriction side. The tracker says its results are not certified; 41 counts were complete for election night and six remained in progress.
The count grew after election day. At 6:16 a.m. Eastern on Nov. 4, the tracker listed 45 measures, 40 with results. It later added a non-binding question in Belvidere, New Jersey, and a charter amendment in Piqua, Ohio. Ballotpedia had listed 41 measures before the vote, using a different counting method; differences include how many separate local questions to count in Maine, Kansas and New Jersey.
Seven results checked by the source against official election sites in Kansas, Nevada, Florida and North Dakota matched the tracker. Examples include Hubbard, Ohio, where a citywide ban received 2,622 yes votes to 802 no votes, and Boulder City, Nevada, where voters rejected a proposal to allow data centers on city-owned desert land, 4,947 to 2,064. The source reports that the Tribune Chronicle also recorded Hubbard’s ban passing 76% to 24%. These are unofficial results, and the source says it did not independently verify all 47 measures.
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 Project Approvals
The results matter because they show that local approval has become a potential obstacle for data-center developers in some communities. A ban or zoning rejection can block a particular type of project or site; a rule requiring a public vote could make future proposals subject to another election. For companies, the vote count is a signal that local consent and land-use decisions may affect where projects can proceed.
The practical effect depends on the specific ballot language and the legal status of each measure. Some questions addressed future proposals rather than facilities already being built. A broad tally of outcomes favoring restrictions can describe the political direction, but it cannot establish that all proposed projects are stopped, that every community opposes data centers, or that the measures impose the same limits.
The underlying debate involves competing local priorities. The source says opponents in Gallup polling most often cited water and energy use, while supporters named jobs and tax revenue. Ballot language in some towns put those concerns into measurable terms, including power capacity in megawatts and water consumption in gallons per day. Those trade-offs may shape local decisions, but this election tally alone does not measure their eventual economic or environmental effects.
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One Tally, Many Ballot Questions
The “45 measures” figure widely reported the morning after the election came from the Redbud Consulting tracker. Its methodology counts ballot questions specifically about data centers, including bans, capacity caps, zoning referendums, developer agreements, voter-approval rules and advisory questions. It groups differently worded questions into “Restrict” and “Allow” categories, making a combined count possible while also masking meaningful differences between proposals.
Other published totals reflect different definitions. Ballotpedia listed 41 measures in 10 states, while the tracker counted 47. The source says its tally includes eight Maine town measures rather than four, four Kansas measures rather than three, and two New Jersey measures rather than one. A separate report of “40+ races across 13 states” included recalls and candidate contests, not only data-center ballot questions.
The measures also varied in force. The source classifies 37 as binding and 10 as advisory. Binding questions included outright bans, often with exceptions or thresholds, caps commonly set at 25 megawatts, temporary moratoriums, rezoning referendums and requirements for public approval. Advisory questions express voter views but do not themselves enact a binding rule. The source material does not provide the full text or legal status of every measure.
“Nothing on the page is certified.”
— Data Centers on the Ballot, a tracker built by Redbud Consulting
Certification and Legal Effects Remain
All reported results remain unofficial, and six counts were still underway at the tracker’s Nov. 5 update. Certified totals could change. The source independently checked seven results against official election sites; for the remaining measures, it relied on the tracker’s linked sources and local reporting where available.
The available material also does not establish the legal effect of every outcome, whether each measure faces a challenge, or how local rules will apply to specific projects. “Restrict” is the tracker’s classification, not a single legal category. An advisory vote, a temporary moratorium and a binding ban can carry very different consequences. The source says 37 measures are binding and 10 advisory, but it does not supply the full ballot text for all questions.
It is also unclear from the count alone how many proposed facilities will be delayed, altered or abandoned. Some votes concern future development, and the tally does not establish the status of every project already planned or under construction.
Final Counts and Local Implementation
Election officials must complete and certify outstanding results. After certification, communities and developers will have to determine how approved measures apply to specific sites, permits and proposals. Where voters adopted a ban, cap, pause or public-approval requirement, the precise ballot language and local process will determine what happens next.
For now, the 46-of-47 figure is a snapshot of unofficial results, not a final count of projects blocked. The next useful indicators will be certified totals, local decisions on implementation and whether future proposals are brought back to voters.
Key Questions
What does 46 of 47 mean?
It means the Data Centers on the Ballot tracker classified the restriction-favoring side as having won or leading in 46 of 47 local measures as of Nov. 5. The results were unofficial, and six counts were still underway.
Did voters pass 46 data-center bans?
No. The measures included bans, capacity limits, zoning decisions, temporary pauses, advisory questions and rules requiring a public vote. The tracker grouped these different outcomes under its “Restrict” category.
Why did some reports say 45 measures and others say 41?
The tracker initially listed 45 and later added two measures. Ballotpedia listed 41 before the election using different counting choices, including different totals for Maine, Kansas and New Jersey.
Are the results final?
No. The tracker says its results are not certified. At its Nov. 5 update, 41 counts were complete for election night and six were still being counted.
What concerns drove opposition to data centers?
The source summarizes Gallup polling as finding that opponents cite water and energy use, while supporters point to jobs and tax revenue. It does not provide the poll’s date, sample size or exact question wording.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
