US voters approve nearly every data-centre moratorium on the midterm ballot
Data centres were on the ballot in at least 40 jurisdictions across 10 states; at least 14 Ohio municipalities passed bans or limits, and new governors in Texas, Georgia and Ohio pledged moratoria.
Why it matters
The vote turns local resistance to the facilities behind the AI boom into a measurable political result. Voters approved nearly every moratorium on the ballot, with Hardwood, North Dakota, the notable exception, and governors-elect Gina Hinojosa in Texas, Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia and Amy Acton in Ohio have pledged moratoria on large data centres. Opposition has become bipartisan: Florida's Ron DeSantis signed strict limits in May. Watch whether hyperscalers shift projects to friendlier states, and how the new Congress handles federal AI rules.
Key facts
- On the ballot in at least 40 jurisdictions across 10 states
- At least 14 Ohio municipalities passed bans or restrictions
- Eight Maine municipalities passed temporary moratoriums
- Hardwood, North Dakota, voted down restrictions
- Governors-elect in Texas, Georgia and Ohio pledged moratoria
- Florida imposed strict data-centre rules in May