Ohio voters back data-centre bans or limits in at least 14 municipalities
Confirmed
The takeaway
Of 21 data-centre measures on Ohio ballots on Nov 3, 2026 (more than half of 41 nationwide), voters approved bans or restrictions in at least 14 municipalities, including a 25 MW charter ban in Sunbury and an 80–20 ban in Trenton, adding to 125+ local moratoriums in the state.
Status
- Claim
Confirmed
- Our reporting
- High confidence
- Importance
- 3 of 5
- Last verified
- 4 November 2026
Your AI and this story
- GPT-6 Astra188 days after its cutoff
- Claude Opus 5.5127 days after its cutoff
- Gemini 4 Argon218 days after its cutoff
- Grok 4.7157 days after its cutoff
None of these four assistants can know about it. The closest, Claude Opus 5.5, stops 127 days before it.
Key facts
- 21 measures in 18 Ohio municipalities; 41 data-centre measures nationwide
- All five central-Ohio communities with measures voted against data centres
- Trenton ban passed 80–20; Wilmington voters (~80%) rejected rezoning in four referendums; Perry (87%) required financial guarantees for tax breaks
- Pro-AI group Build American AI spent at least $2.54M on Ohio TV ads
- ICAPP/SurveyUSA poll of Ohio adults: 55% opposed data-centre construction, 22% supported
What happened
Results are unofficial (Oregon, Ohio had not reported at midnight). Ashville voters backed blocking a campus already under construction. Sociologist Keith Durkin told Fortune he has “never seen any pro-data center advertising.”
Why it matters
Local votes are where the backlash against AI infrastructure becomes binding law.
Sources
1 source from 1 site. Numbers match the chips in the text.
1 source: 1 press
Press
- Fortune: Ohio data center ballot measures (Nov 4)fortune.com, press
Changes
- Filed