{
  "id": 14513731,
  "title": "Voters Near Data Centers Are Ditching the GOP in Droves",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/voters-near-data-centers-are-ditching-the-gop-in-droves",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-14T18:22:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mother Jones",
    "slug": "mother-jones",
    "url": "https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/10/survey-data-centers-gop-republican-voters-democrats-midterm-elections/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Voters living close to data centers are increasingly inclined to support Democratic candidates, according to a recent survey conducted by YouGov and the Economist. This shift in voting preferences has grown significantly since May, when 54% of data center neighbors planned to back Democrats, compared to 61% in the most recent poll, released on October 12. On a national level, the trend is less pronounced, with support for Democrats rising from 53% to 55%. The rise in data center construction, particularly the so-called \"hyperscale\" facilities, has led to a surge in opposition across rural and suburban areas where residents find them undesirable neighbors. These centers require vast amounts of space, energy, and water, and often generate noise and air pollution. Across the country, over 268 local opposition groups have emerged, mobilizing more than 300,000 individuals against data center development. The opposition has already led to the cancellation of several high-value data center projects worth over $260 billion in 2026, according to the climate-focused outlet Heatmap. Politicians from both parties have taken notice, with Donald Trump warning that towns rejecting data centers would become \"backwards and poor,\" while many Americans advocate for unrestricted data center growth. Despite this, the data centers being built or planned are predominantly located in traditionally Republican-leaning states. While some Republican candidates have adopted anti-data center stances, the party as a whole has struggled to craft a unified message on the issue, leaving voters frustrated and disillusioned. As the upcoming midterm elections approach, the YouGov/Economist poll suggests that the data center controversy may play a significant role in shaping election outcomes.",
  "summary": "Americans who live near data centers—specifically, within a mile or so—have become more likely than others to vote for Democrats this cycle, a new YouGov/Economist survey suggests. Since May alone, the share of people living near data centers who plan to vote Democratic has risen from 54 percent to 61 percent, according to the poll, […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}