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TL;DR
A public tracker lists 47 local measures about data centers on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot across 10 states. As of Nov. 5, unofficial results show the side favoring restrictions had won or was leading in 46; the questions ranged from outright bans to advisory votes and temporary pauses.
Voters in 47 local measures across 10 states considered data center restrictions on Nov. 3, and the side favoring limits had won or was leading in 46 races as of Nov. 5, according to the public Data Centers on the Ballot tracker. The results are unofficial, and the measures varied widely: some proposed outright bans, while others concerned zoning, temporary pauses, or non-binding questions.
The tracker, built by polling and data firm Redbud Consulting, showed restriction supporters ahead in 46 of the 47 measures. It reported 41 counts complete and six still being counted. Across all measures, it listed 260,177 votes, with 72.8% on the Restrict side. Those figures describe the tracker’s combined results; they do not mean every ballot asked voters the same question.
The count changed after election day. At 6:16 a.m. Eastern on Nov. 4, the tracker listed 45 measures, with results posted for 40. It later added a non-binding question in Belvidere, New Jersey, and a charter amendment in Piqua, Ohio. Ballotpedia listed 41 measures before the vote, using a different count. The sources’ totals differ because they did not include the same set of ballot questions.
Examples illustrate the range of decisions. Hubbard, Ohio, asked whether to ban data centers of any size; the unofficial result was 2,622 yes to 802 no, or 76.6% for the ban. Boulder City, Nevada, voters rejected a question allowing data centers on city-owned desert land, with 2,064 yes votes and 4,947 no votes. In Harwood, North Dakota, a measure concerning review rules for large projects was the lone exception: the tracker showed the Allow side ahead.
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 Data Center Plans
The results indicate that data center development is facing local political resistance in many places where it has reached the ballot. For developers, a local vote can affect whether land is rezoned, whether a project can proceed under new rules, or whether future proposals must receive public approval. The tracker says many measures target future projects, rather than facilities already under construction.
The ballots also put questions about infrastructure and economic benefits before residents. The source reports that polling by Gallup found opponents citing water and energy use, while supporters pointed to jobs and tax revenue. Some ballot texts set limits using measures such as megawatts or gallons of water per day. The results show how voters decided specific local questions, but they do not establish that every community opposed every kind of data center development.
For residents, the practical effect depends on the measure’s legal status and wording. A binding ban or zoning referendum can have a different effect from an advisory question. Even where restrictions prevailed, the ballot result alone does not show what projects may already be approved, what legal challenges could follow, or how local rules will be applied.
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Why the 47-Measure Count Changed
The 47-measure total comes from the Redbud Consulting tracker, which counts ballot questions that directly concern data centers. It groups differently worded outcomes into Restrict and Allow sides so they can be tallied together. That method captures a broad range of local decisions, but the combined tally should not be mistaken for a single statewide or nationwide referendum.
Other tallies used different definitions. Ballotpedia counted 41 measures, including 21 in Ohio, seven in Illinois, four in Maine, three in Kansas, and one each in California, Florida, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. The tracker listed eight Maine measures rather than four, four Kansas measures rather than three, and two New Jersey measures rather than one. A separate report’s “40+ races across 13 states” also included recalls and candidate contests, not only data center ballot questions.
The source says it checked seven results against official election sites in Kansas, Nevada, Florida, and North Dakota, and that all seven matched the tracker. It could not independently check all 47, citing county sites that restrict automated access or publish scanned documents. For the remaining races, it relied on tracker links to county sources and local reporting. It reports that the results had not yet been certified.
“The tracker labels outcomes as “Restrict” or “Allow.””
— Data Centers on the Ballot tracker
Certification and Local Effects Remain Open
All results were unofficial as of Nov. 5, and six counts were still underway, according to the tracker. The source report says it independently checked seven of the 47 results; for the rest, including Ohio measures, it relied on the tracker’s linked election sources and available local reporting. Final certified totals could differ from election-night counts.
The full legal and practical effects are also not settled by the combined tally. The source identifies 37 measures as binding and 10 as advisory, but the consequences depend on each ballot’s text and local process. The provided material does not detail the final implementation timetable for each measure, the status of every proposed project, or any legal challenges. Harwood was the only measure where the Allow side led in the tracker’s Nov. 5 snapshot, but its result was also unofficial.
Final Counts and Local Implementation
Election officials must complete counting and certify results before the unofficial totals become final. Residents, developers, and local governments will then need to assess what each adopted measure requires, including any zoning changes, restrictions, public-approval rules, or pauses. The source does not provide a common implementation schedule across the 47 jurisdictions.
For now, the clearest next steps are certification of the remaining counts and review of the individual ballot language and local decisions. The tracker’s aggregate result offers a snapshot of voter sentiment across a diverse set of questions, not a single policy mandate or a final account of what projects will proceed.
Key Questions
What does the 46-of-47 result mean?
As of Nov. 5, the Redbud Consulting tracker showed the side favoring restrictions had won or was leading in 46 of 47 local measures. The results were unofficial, and the measures did not all ask the same question.
Why did some reports say 45 measures or 41?
The tracker listed 45 measures early on Nov. 4 and later added two. Ballotpedia counted 41 before the election using a different set of ballot questions. The gap reflects different counting methods and included measures.
Did voters approve a nationwide ban on data centers?
No. The measures were local, and their subjects ranged from bans and zoning referendums to advisory questions. The combined tally is not a single nationwide vote.
Which measure was the exception?
Harwood, North Dakota, was the only one where the tracker showed the Allow side ahead as of Nov. 5. Its listed count was 105 yes to 325 no on a measure concerning review rules for large projects; the result was unofficial.
When will the results be final?
The source report said the results had not been certified as of Nov. 5, 2026, and six counts were still underway. Final timing depends on local election officials; the source does not give a certification date for each jurisdiction.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
