Midterm Rout for Data Centers: Voters in Nearly 40 Towns Rejected Projects
This story was originally published by Capital B and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Silicon Valley wants communities across the country to make room for its data centers. On Tuesday, those communities had their say. Voters considered nearly 40 data center-related ballot measures across 10 states, turning the midterms into a sprawling referendum shifting the…
In nearly 40 towns across 10 U.S. states, voters turned against tech industry projects in the 2022 midterm elections. Of the measures, only one data center-related ballot measure succeeded in Harwood, North Dakota. In California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio and Wisconsin, residents either prohibited data center construction or halted development. In Joliet, Illinois, 80 percent of voters restricted data centers, emphasizing the concerns of Black and Latino residents over industrial pollution.
Organizers like Jamil Davis from Black Voters Matter in northern Florida emphasized that utility bills and data centers are key issues for constituents. The opposition to data centers is part of a broader struggle against environmental racism, with these facilities often located in communities of color.
The fight over data centers has roots in Memphis, Tennessee, where Black-led groups challenged pollution and lack of oversight surrounding Elon Musk’s xAI facility. Nationwide, 77 percent of voters rejected data center initiatives, with 77 percent of these first introduced as citizen initiatives. In Illinois, Joliet residents voted 80 percent against data center development, reflecting ongoing opposition to pollution from warehouse and trucking industries.
A poll found that over half of midterm voters considered AI and data centers crucial in their voting decisions. The results were also a rebuke of President Trump, who has advocated for the U.S. to become the "AI capital of the world." Trump and his allies heavily outspent local campaigns, spending $474 million on Republicans, conservative groups, and pro-AI candidates during the 2022 midterms.
Data Center Resistance, a coalition of groups, noted that tech corporations and allies outspent local campaigns by about 100 to 1. Ed FitzGerald, director of Data Center Resistance, stated, "They had the money, but we had the people." The victory represents a significant win for Black communities, especially after recent weakening of the Voting Rights Act.
Written by urgent.news from Mother Jones's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
