AI data centers are powering everything from ChatGPT to Google's Gemini, but the enormous facilities that make these tools possible are facing growing resistance across the country.

On Tuesday, November 3, voters in 10 states will decide on 41 local ballot measures involving data centers, according to Ballotpedia. Twenty-eight measures would restrict development if approved, while 13 would make it easier for projects to move forward.

The votes come as Americans face rising electricity costs and questions about how much power AI infrastructure should consume, who pays for new energy infrastructure and whether communities benefit enough from having these facilities nearby.

For households already struggling with higher utility bills, the debate has become about more than where technology companies build their next server farms.

According to Ballotpedia's November 2, 2026 report, voters in 10 states will decide on 41 local AI data center-related ballot measures on Election Day, November 3.

Data centers are essential to the AI boom. They power cloud storage, streaming services, internet applications and the sophisticated AI systems used by millions of people every day.

But they also require enormous amounts of electricity and water to operate servers and cooling systems around the clock. A June 2026 report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimates that data centers could account for 11.8% of total U.S. electricity consumption by 2030, with projections ranging from 9.5% to 15.3%.

That growing demand is putting pressure on utilities to expand generating capacity, transmission lines and other infrastructure.

And consumers are growing concerned about whether they'll be asked to help pay for those upgrades.

Source link