Voters across the country crushed data center projects in nearly every local vote this week, a clear warning shot at the tech industry and its political allies.

• In 41 local ballot initiatives nationwide, voters rejected data centers in every single one, often by 70-80% margins.
• The backlash crossed party lines and regions, from California and Ohio to Florida, Kansas, and New Jersey, driven by noise, pollution, high energy bills, and anger over tech billionaires taking control of local communities.
• Candidates who campaigned against data centers and AI overreach won key races in Michigan and Texas despite huge spending by tech billionaires trying to beat them.
• Newly elected officials are now pushing for a federal pause on advanced AI development, setting up a fight with the Trump administration and tech industry allies who want to keep building.
• AI companies are already talking about moving data centers off-planet into space, since land in the Gulf and red states is becoming politically and militarily risky.

Outlook: Expect state-level bans and moratoriums on data centers and AI development to spread, forcing a showdown with Washington over whether to slow AI growth nationally.