Data centres weigh on US voters
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on BBC
Illustrative image · Brett Sayles · Pexels · Licence PexelsA poll conducted for AP and a media consortium found that 56% of US voters considered data centres a crucial or major factor in their vote, while 76% opposed new local projects. The findings are fuelling debate over the political impact of the AI boom, according to the BBC.
A poll of US voters during the midterm elections shows that 56% consider data centres a crucial or major factor in their vote, according to a survey conducted for the Associated Press (AP) and a consortium of news organisations. These facilities, used in particular to run artificial intelligence services, are also opposed by 76% of respondents when it comes to building new centres in their community.
Opposition is particularly strong among voters who said they voted Democrat. Surveys by the Pew Research Center also indicate that around half of Americans consider data centres broadly harmful to the environment, household energy bills and quality of life. Their popularity has fallen sharply since January 2026.
Data centres nevertheless rank behind government corruption and the cost of living among voters' concerns. According to the AP poll, 90% of voters consider corruption a crucial or major factor in their vote, compared with 89% for the cost of living.
The distribution of infrastructure also shows disparities between states. Texas has 595, Ohio 258 and Iowa 117, compared with a median of 55 centres across the 50 US states. Texas alone has 31 construction projects under way, the highest number in the country.
