<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><span class="section-lead">Americans who live</span> near<strong> </strong>data centers—specifically, within a mile or so—have become more likely than others to vote for Democrats this cycle, a new YouGov/Economist <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2026/10/12/data-centres-are-turning-trump-voters-into-democrats">survey suggests</a>.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">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 <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2026/10/12/data-centres-are-turning-trump-voters-into-democrats">the poll,</a> released October 12. Nationwide, voter preferences have shifted too, but by a much smaller margin: from 53 percent to 55 percent.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Over the past year, developers have secured land leases and begun construction on new “hyperscale” data centers at a rapid pace—often operating too quickly to, or simply choosing not to, involve nearby communities much in the zoning process. This dynamic is mostly playing out in rural and suburban areas, where, across the political spectrum, there is resistance to hosting data centers.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Data centers require significant space, energy, and water to operate, and they <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/new-evidence-on-data-center-employment-effects/">do not provide many jobs</a> relative to the investment they require. Additionally, they can be noisy due to their cooling systems, and a growing number include onsite gas turbines that <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/xai-adds-19-new-gas-turbines-despite-ongoing-lawsuit/">emit smoke</a>. Town councils and zoning commissions across the country are experiencing protests against data centers.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://datacenteropposition.com/">Data Center Opposition Report</a>, a recently launched website tracking opposition to data center development across the country, counts at least 268 local opposition groups across 37 states, organizing more than 300,000 people. Planned data center projects worth over $260 billion have <a href="https://heatmap.news/daily/260-billion-data-center-opposition">been canceled</a> in 2026, according to the climate outlet Heatmap.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Politicians are responding to these concerns: candidates from both parties are incorporating <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/08/anti-ai-populism-is-reshaping-american-politics/">anti-data-center populism</a> into their campaign promises. Donald Trump has stated that towns opposing data centers will be “<a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/08/trump-communities-that-oppose-data-centers-will-be-backwards-and-poor/">backwards and poor</a>,” advocating for data centers to be allowed to operate.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Despite this, communities historically leaning Republican are not swayed. Approximately 75 percent of data centers under construction and 80 percent of those in the planning stage are located in red states, according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/data-center-boom-republicans-2026-midterm-elections/">data shared with CBS</a> by Cleanview Research.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Some Republicans are changing their stance on data centers. For instance, an Alabama <a href="https://alabamareflector.com/2026/09/02/tommy-tuberville-outlines-new-data-center-approach-amid-mounting-opposition/">gubernatorial candidate</a> who previously dismissed concerns about data centers is now advocating for stricter regulations. However, the GOP overall has struggled to present a unified message on data centers as a quality of life issue. The new poll is one of <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/09/22/americans-views-of-data-centers-have-turned-more-negative/">several</a> indicating that upcoming midterm election results may reflect this shift.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As Ohio anti–data center activist Nick Owens recently <a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/10/08/as-early-voting-in-ohio-begins-republicans-try-to-reshape-the-data-center-narrative/">told News 5 Cleveland,</a> “The only way they’re going to wake up, whether it’s either party, is on November 3. People who are silent to the data center issue will find out, but frankly, both parties are complicit.”</p>