AI data center boom faces backlash at US ballot box

Local votes put AI infrastructure under scrutiny

Voters in 10 U.S. states are set to decide on Election Day whether to delay, restrict or add conditions to data-center development, Reuters reported. The measures reflect a widening local debate over the facilities that supply the computing capacity used by artificial-intelligence applications.

Ohio is the main center of that contest. Reuters reported that voters in more than a dozen Ohio jurisdictions are considering 21 proposals alongside the midterm elections. Ballotpedia, which tracks a different set of measures and updates its count separately, listed at least 39 local data-center-related measures in eight states as of September 2026.

Power, water and neighborhood concerns

Opposition is crossing party lines, according to Reuters. Ohio organizer Jessica Baker said residents are particularly concerned about electricity and water demand, while some nearby communities are also raising health, noise and traffic concerns.

The resistance has not yet stopped the broader buildout. Cushman & Wakefield data cited by Reuters showed U.S. data-center capacity under construction rose 48% between December 2025 and June 2026. Dell’Oro Group analyst Baron Fung said developers could move delayed projects to other locations rather than abandon them.

Sunbury vote tests Amazon project

One closely watched vote is in Sunbury, near Columbus. A measure would prohibit data centers with a combined monthly demand or peak electrical load above 25 megawatts, a threshold that could affect Amazon’s proposed $2 billion project, Reuters reported.

Local television station 10TV reported that a yes vote would impose the 25-megawatt limit, while a no vote would leave existing city rules in place. Residents interviewed by the station cited possible noise, traffic, light pollution, water and grid impacts. Amazon Vice President of Public Policy Shannon Kellogg said the company had not provided site-specific electricity figures but was committed to paying the full cost of the power it uses.

Amazon told Reuters it was focused on working with local residents and officials, citing jobs, tax payments and the technologies its customers use. The company did not say whether ballot initiatives around the country would change its expansion plans.

A broader test for data-center growth

The votes will show how communities balance anticipated economic gains against the physical demands of AI infrastructure. Even where restrictions pass, the debate may redirect projects rather than end the expansion, as developers seek locations with available power, land and local approval.

Sources: Reuters; Ballotpedia; 10TV; 10TV interview with Amazon executive.