🔍 Read the full analysis: How To Read The Results Of 47 Local Data Center Ballot Votes on ThorstenMeyerAI.com
Prime made for students and young adults
- Fast, free delivery for dorm and study essentials
- Prime Video and Amazon Music included
- Member-only deals
TL;DR
A public tracker lists 47 local data center measures on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot across 10 states. As of Nov. 5, the side categorized as restricting data centers had won or was leading in 46, but the results are unofficial and the measures range from bans to advisory questions.
Unofficial results from a public tracker show the side favoring restrictions on data centers winning or leading in 46 of 47 local measures voted on Nov. 3 across 10 states. The tally, updated by Data Centers on the Ballot, combines distinct questions—including bans, zoning decisions and advisory votes—so it does not mean voters in 46 places adopted the same policy; results are not yet certified.
The tracker, built by polling and data firm Redbud Consulting, listed 45 measures the morning after the election, with results posted for 40. It later added a nonbinding question in Belvidere, New Jersey, and a charter amendment in Piqua, Ohio. At 12:30 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 5, it listed 47 measures with results: the restrictive outcome led in 46, while Harwood, North Dakota, was the exception. The tracker said 41 counts were complete for election night and six were still being counted.
Across the measures, the tracker counted 260,177 votes, 72.8% on the side it labels “Restrict.” That is a combined raw tally, not a measure of the share of all voters in the 10 states: each local question had its own electorate and wording. The tracker’s categories map “yes” and “no” responses to Restrict or Allow depending on what each ballot question asked.
The source account says its author checked seven results against official county or state election sites in Kansas, Nevada, Florida and North Dakota, and found them consistent with the tracker. Examples include Hubbard, Ohio, where an unofficial count showed 2,622 votes for a ban covering data centers of any size and 802 against. In Boulder City, Nevada, voters rejected a question allowing data centers on city-owned desert land, 4,947 to 2,064, according to the cited Clark County count. These examples reflect different legal questions, not a single statewide vote.
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.
Powered by Thorsten Meyer AI
Local Approval Is a Site Risk
The results matter to communities and developers because local votes can affect whether, where and under what conditions a data center may be built. Depending on the measure, a vote could prohibit projects, limit facility size, pause approvals, reverse a zoning decision or require voters to approve a future proposal. The immediate effect therefore depends on the text of each ballot and the local law governing it.
For companies weighing potential sites, the tally signals that local consent and election risk may be part of project planning. It does not establish that all projects are blocked: many questions concern future development, and some votes are advisory rather than binding. For residents, the distinctions determine whether a result changes the rules directly or expresses an opinion to local officials.
The source describes a debate over expected jobs and tax revenue on one side and concerns about water and energy use on the other. Those are reported arguments, not findings established by the election tally. Ballot language in some places specified limits in megawatts or gallons per day, showing how local disputes can turn on resource use as well as land use.
Popular right now
Bose QuietComfort True Wireless Earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation, Black
Apple AirPods Pro 3 Wireless Earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation
Shark AV2501S AI Ultra Robot Vacuum with Self-Empty Base
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Why the Count Reached 47
Reports the morning after the election referred to 45 measures, a figure that matched the tracker at that time. The tracker’s revision to 47 followed the addition of Belvidere’s advisory question and Piqua’s charter amendment. Ballotpedia listed 41 measures before the vote, using a different count: the source account says it listed fewer questions in Maine, Kansas and New Jersey than the Redbud tracker.
The organizations also apply different inclusion rules. The Redbud tracker counts ballot questions whose text concerns data centers, including bans, capacity caps, rezoning referendums, developer agreements, voter-approval rules and advisory questions. Another report cited in the source described “40+ races across 13 states,” but included recalls and candidate races as well as ballot measures. These totals should not be treated as directly interchangeable.
The tracker groups differently worded votes into “Restrict” and “Allow” outcomes to summarize them. That helps readers see the overall direction of the listed measures, but obscures differences in legal effect unless each question is examined separately. The source account says its author could not independently verify all 47 results; it relied on the tracker and linked local reporting for the remainder, including Ohio results.
Certification and Local Effects
All results remain unofficial in the source material; certification had not occurred as of Nov. 5. Six counts were still underway, so leads could change. The reported total of 46 restrictive outcomes is therefore a snapshot, not a certified final count.
It is also not yet clear from the supplied information how every measure will operate after the vote, including the steps local governments must take to implement results or how any legal challenges might affect them. The source labels 37 measures binding and 10 advisory, but the specific consequences vary. It does not provide the full text or implementation timetable for all 47 questions.
Verification is incomplete: the source author checked seven results directly against official election sites and said the remaining results were taken from the tracker and local reporting. The tracker links to county sources, but the supplied account does not establish an independent check of every linked result. The aggregate vote share also cannot show how residents across all affected communities feel, because the measures were separate local contests.
Certification and Local Implementation
Election offices must complete their counts and certify results before the unofficial leads become final. The six contests still being counted deserve particular attention, as do any differences between preliminary totals and certified returns. The tracker’s status should be read alongside the relevant county or state election office as final results are issued.
After certification, local governments will need to apply the outcome according to each measure’s wording and legal status. Binding bans, caps, moratoriums and zoning decisions may have direct consequences for permitting, while advisory votes may guide officials without changing rules on their own. The supplied material does not set out dates for those local actions.
For readers following a specific project, the practical next step is to identify the exact measure in the relevant city or county, check its certified result, and review what local officials say about implementation. The broader 46-of-47 count describes a strong overall direction in this tracker’s classification; it cannot substitute for those local details.
Key Questions
Did voters reject data centers in 46 places?
Not in one uniform sense. The tracker categorized the restrictive side as winning or leading in 46 of 47 measures, but the questions covered different policies, including bans, limits, zoning votes and advisory proposals.
Are the results final?
No. The results were unofficial as of Nov. 5, 2026, and six counts were still being tallied. Election offices must certify the results.
Why did some reports say 45 measures?
The tracker listed 45 the morning after the election, then added a Belvidere, New Jersey, advisory question and a Piqua, Ohio, charter amendment. Different trackers also use different inclusion rules.
Do all 46 restrictive outcomes ban data centers?
No. The measures included several kinds of restrictions and some advisory questions. A result’s effect depends on the ballot wording and whether the measure is binding.
Which community was the exception?
Harwood, North Dakota, was the one measure where the tracker did not show the restrictive side ahead. Its unofficial count was 105 votes for the review rules and 325 against, according to the source account’s cited state results.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
