Voters put the brakes on data centers across the U.S.

Voters approved at least 38 local measures restricting data-center development on Tuesday, according to CBS News, turning a fight over giant server warehouses into a very real election issue.

Communities have pushed back over the facilities' electricity and water use, grid costs, tax breaks and the small matter of whether residents get a say before a power-hungry building arrives nearby. NBC News Election Day polling found 76 percent of respondents opposed data centers in their communities. That is not a subtle result, even by polling standards.

Where the votes landed: The Guardian counted data-center questions in at least 40 jurisdictions across 10 states and reported that nearly every moratorium on the ballot passed. In Ohio, at least 14 municipalities approved bans or restrictions. Wells, Maine, approved a 180-day moratorium on large data centers, while several Ohio cities backed bans on facilities using more than 25 megawatts of power. El Dorado, Kansas, voted to bar data centers with peak electrical loads above 10 megawatts for 10 years, The Verge reported.

The governors matter: Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Gov. Greg Abbott in Texas after supporting a statewide moratorium on data-center development. Texas is expected to account for 25 percent to 30 percent of U.S. data-center capacity projected to come online by 2030, according to analyst Dan Ives. In Georgia, Governor-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms campaigned on pausing new construction and said Wednesday she would immediately sign an executive order for a pause. Ohio Governor-elect Amy Acton has also been an opponent of rapid expansion.

What changes: The election does not mean U.S. spending on data centers suddenly disappears. MarketWatch reported that developers may instead face delays, higher costs and pressure to move projects elsewhere. Analysts cited by CBS News expect more requirements for companies to pay for grid upgrades and fewer generous tax incentives. Existing sites with power, permits and operating facilities may look more valuable for the same reason new projects look more complicated.

Democrats now control Congress, according to TechCrunch, and Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have already proposed a nationwide moratorium while federal guardrails are considered. The open question is whether local resistance turns into a national policy fight, or remains a patchwork of towns deciding how much AI infrastructure they want next door.