Local voters favor data-center limits in 40 of 41 tracked contests

Ballotpedia’s November 4 analysis says voters favored limits on data-center development in 40 of the 41 local contests it tracked for November 3, across ten states. Duane Morris Government Strategies reports the same tally after completing its count; results remain unofficial until local certification. [1][2]

The denominator matters. The 41 are measures, not states, projects or an estimated share of national capacity. Their legal effects vary: some prohibit or pause development, others are nonbinding advisory questions, and some reject permission for a named project. A vote against a pro-development proposal can count as a restrictive outcome even though the ballot’s “no” side won. [1][2]

For example, Alhambra’s measure prohibits data centers, while Bloomington’s asks officials to impose a moratorium through an advisory vote. The exception in the tally is Harwood, North Dakota, where voters rejected a proposed additional review requirement. These outcomes should not be collapsed into a claim that forty new bans took effect. [1]