‘Like being hit between the eyes with a sledgehammer’: Meet the one town in America that defied election trends and voted in favor of data centers

In a surprising turn during America's midterm elections, which saw a strong disapproval of data centers, a tiny town in North Dakota, Harwood, defied the nationwide trend. Out of the 45 ballot measures focused on data centers, only one, Harwood's initiative, supported the development. According to Redbud Consulting, 75% (325 out of 430) of the votes cast opposed the measure.

Harwood, situated 10 miles from Fargo, boasts a population of around 940 people. A 160-acre data center, planned by Applied Digital Corp., was set to commence operations the following year, potentially expanding to 900 acres. However, Harwood residents were kept in the dark about the data center construction until three weeks before it commenced in September 2025.

Michael Swartz, a long-time resident, expressed concerns about the potential adverse effects of the data center expansion, emphasizing the need for more comprehensive discussions and vetting of the project's implications. Despite the initial opposition, Harwood's data center initiative garnered significant support, with the petition to place it on the ballot receiving 91 signatures within three days.

However, the project encountered numerous hurdles, including resistance from the local Chamber of Commerce, who accused the measure of imposing additional administrative burdens and causing taxpayers to bear an extra cost of $300,000 to $544,000 annually. Swartz also expressed dissatisfaction with the language of the measure, which differed from the version presented to the election committee, making it challenging for voters to grasp the initiative's essence.