Voters in 10 states decide 41 local data center measures today, according to Ballotpedia's count, reported by Smart Cities Dive. Seventeen would bar data center development, and eight would let local governments permit it.
Ohio covers more than half of the list. It has 21 measures, 11 of which would prohibit data centers and six of which involve zoning. Conneaut, Defiance, Oregon and Sunbury would ban data centers with a peak load above 25 megawatts. Granville, Hubbard, Piqua, Upper Sandusky and Urbana propose broader bans, per Newsweek, which drew on Ballotpedia's data.
Some measures are narrower. Grove City would require a public vote on certain large developments, such as those drawing more than 20 megawatts at peak. Perry would make hyperscale developers who seek special tax breaks post financial guarantees. In Wilmington, voters decide whether to keep rezonings that would allow data centers on rural land.
Two Kansas cities go further. Emporia and El Dorado would ban "high-impact" data centers, defined as 10 megawatts of peak load or 100,000 gallons of water a day, per MultiState. El Dorado's ban would last ten years, and only another vote could change it.
The six local votes held earlier this year all went toward limiting development. A statewide Ohio amendment to ban data centers over 25 megawatts missed the deadline for this ballot.
Counting starts tonight. This page will be updated with results as they come in. Our county moratorium tracker covers the pauses that boards have passed without a vote.
Bottom Line
A 25-megawatt cap rules out almost any AI campus, so a win for one of these measures closes the whole town to developers. Check whether your sites sit in one of these jurisdictions before tonight's counts.