Data centers lost nearly every local vote — except in one town

Opponents of data centers won virtually all of the more than 40 local ballot measures across 10 states on election night, according to preliminary results tallied by Route Fifty — the town-by-town revolt is now a national sweep, not a string of isolated fights.

The lone exception proves the rout: in Harwood, North Dakota, 75 percent of just 430 voters rejected a charter amendment that would have forced an independent review and public hearing before big industrial projects, leaving an already-approved Applied Digital campus untouched.

Ohio was the epicenter, with almost 20 localities voting and opponents winning every race, while a state-level constitutional ban could reach the ballot next year — and more votes are already lined up for next month in Arkansas and North Dakota.