Ohio Voters Face Record Data Center Ballot Measures

Ohio voters will decide on 21 local data center ballot issues on November 3, the highest number of such measures in any U.S. state. These initiatives, spanning 18 communities and 16 counties, include proposed bans on large-scale facilities and zoning changes to preserve agricultural land. The surge follows public outcry over noise pollution, high electricity and water consumption, and the use of nondisclosure agreements by developers.

Vivek Ramaswamy and Dr. Amy Acton are offering diverging visions for the state in the gubernatorial race. Ramaswamy supports the data center boom and advocates for broad property tax rollbacks. Dr. Amy Acton proposes targeted tax relief and requires data centers to use union labor and build on brownfields. These debates coincide with broader voter concerns in the Mahoning Valley regarding President Donald Trump's steel tariffs and the social impact of mass deportations.

In the U.S. Senate race, candidates Sherrod Brown and Jon Husted are debating accountability and power grid funding. Brown has criticized Husted's ties to the data center industry and is campaigning to ban congressional stock trading. Husted, who championed data center investments, proposed the Ratepayer Protection Act to ensure developers pay for their own infrastructure. Meanwhile, the grassroots organization Conserve Ohio is collecting signatures for a statewide constitutional amendment to ban data centers exceeding 25 megawatts in November 2027.