COLUMBUS, OHIO — Ohio voters delivered a sweeping rejection of large data center development in Tuesday’s election, with all 21 ballot measures tied to restricting, regulating or opposing such projects producing results unfavorable to the industry.
The measures appeared across 18 communities and included outright bans, zoning restrictions, financial safeguards and referendums on proposed development. In Wilmington, roughly 80% of voters rejected four separate rezonings that could have enabled data center projects.
In Piqua, voters approved a charter amendment prohibiting data centers by about a 2-to-1 margin and also recalled three city commissioners associated with approval of a Meta project. Upper Sandusky voters backed a data center ban with nearly 77% support, while 87% of voters in Perry approved a requirement that developers receiving tax incentives provide financial guarantees.
The results reflect growing local concern over electricity demand, water use, farmland conversion, tax incentives and whether large data center projects provide enough long-term employment or community benefit to justify their infrastructure demands.
Ohio was not alone. Ballotpedia found voters favored limiting data center development in 40 of 41 local ballot measures nationwide on Nov. 3.
Industry groups responded by promising greater transparency and community investment, while opponents are now pushing Ohio lawmakers to consider a statewide moratorium on large projects.
The Ohio results do not amount to a statewide ban, but they send a clear message that communities increasingly want more control over where and whether hyperscale data centers are built.
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