Voters will decide on 41 data center ballot measures amid rising backlash

Read more... Voters across the country in this year’s midterm elections will decide on ballot initiatives to slow down development or issue guardrails for data centers, which have seen sharply increasing public backlash.President Donald Trump has pushed for data center development, arguing they are necessary in order to win the artificial intelligence race against China. However, the 41 ballot measures across eight states reveal the growing public opposition to data centers. .explore-more-section { background: var(--wex-bg); border-top: 1px solid #ffffff; border-bottom: 1px solid #ffffff; margin: 24px 0; margin-top: -20px; }@scope (#mos-50b41394-1d34-47bd-ac69-0be8d67f8076) { .we-meter { --we-red: #DB3745; --we-charcoal: #323E48; --we-blue: #15BEF0; --we-slate: #85A0AB; --we-gold: #ECC270; --we-text: #323E48; --we-border: #85A0AB; position: relative; overflow: hidden; box-sizing: border-box; width: 100%; max-width: 720px; margin: 28px auto; padding: 22px 26px; border: 1.5px solid var(--we-border); border-radius: 14px; background: #fff; color: var(--we-text); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; padding-bottom: 5px; } .we-meter *, .we-meter *::before, .we-meter *::after { box-sizing: border-box; } .we-meter::after { content: ""; position: absolute; inset: 0 0 0 auto; width: 32%; max-width: 200px; background: linear-gradient(90deg, rgba(255, 255, 255, 1) 0%, rgba(255, 255, 255, .88) 22%, rgba(255, 255, 255, .42) 100%), url("https://www.conservativenewsdaily.net/breaking-news/wp-content/uploads//2026/10/localimages/Washington_Examiner_Capitol_Final.png6ad89fdf0c95b.png") center / cover no-repeat; opacity: .24; pointer-events: none; } .we-grid { position: relative; z-index: 1; display: grid; grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1.35fr) minmax(200px, 0.85fr); gap: 20px 28px; align-items: center; } .we-title { margin: 0 0 8px; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: clamp(2.4vw); line-height: 1.15; letter-spacing: -.02em; } .we-title span { display: block; color: var(--we-red); } .we-copy { margin: 0; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.45; } .we-actions { text-align: center; } .we-cta { display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; gap: 10px; width: 100%; padding: 12px 18px; border-radius: 8px; background: var(--we-red); color: #fff !important; text-decoration: none; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.2; } .we-arrow { font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1; } .we-member { margin: 10px 0 0; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.35; } .we-member a { color: var(--we-red); text-decoration: none; font-weight: 600; } .we-member a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } @media (max-width: 680px) { .we-meter { padding: 18px 20px; margin: 20px auto; } .we-meter::after { width: 48%; opacity: .15; } .we-grid { grid-template-columns: 1fr; gap: 16px; } .we-actions { text-align: center; } .we-member { margin-top: 8px; } } }if (typeof CSSScopeRule == 'undefined') { const style = document.getElementById('mos-50b41394-1d34-47bd-ac69-0be8d67f8076-style'); if (style) { style.textContent = style.textContent.replace(/^@scope (#mos-50b41394-1d34-47bd-ac69-0be8d67f8076) { /, '').replace(/}$/, '');}} In-depth coverageas the midterms take shape. 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