Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) faces a potential setback to its planned $2 billion Ohio data center on Tuesday, when local residents vote on a measure that could block the project.
The vote in Sunbury, Ohio, is one of 41 data-center ballot measures across 10 states, as communities increasingly push back against America’s AI infrastructure expansion.
All six data-center measures decided earlier this year resulted in greater restrictions on development.
A Small Ohio City Takes On Amazon
Just 172 valid signatures were needed to put Sunbury’s proposed data-center ban on the ballot. Election officials certified 351.
The measure would prohibit construction of facilities requiring more than 25 megawatts of electricity, potentially blocking Amazon’s planned campus.
Amazon secured tax incentives for the $2 billion project in 2024, promising 50 permanent jobs. But the city has since imposed a data-center moratorium through January 2027, and the project still needs a development agreement.
Residents have raised concerns about electricity demand, water consumption and noise.
“It gives us more of a say in the outcome of what happens in our community,” local organizer Trey Dockendorf told WCMH.
Six Votes, Six Setbacks for Data Centers
Voters have sided against data-center development in all six ballot measures decided this year, with between 66% and 90% backing greater restrictions.
Tuesday brings a much bigger test. Of the 41 measures, 28 would restrict development, while 13 would make it easier. Ohio alone accounts for 21.
The local battles come amid broader political uncertainty for investors. Polymarket puts the probability of Democrats winning both chambers of Congress at approximately 72%, with more than $52 million traded.
Veteran strategist Ed Yardeni warned that a Democratic sweep could deliver a “very cold shower” for stocks, citing the risk of worsening political gridlock.
A Growing Risk for Big Tech
The opposition could complicate expansion plans for Amazon, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL), which are investing heavily in AI infrastructure.
Amazon declined to say whether the ballot measures would change its broader expansion plans, but said its commitment to communities would remain unchanged.
The boom has hardly stopped. U.S. data-center capacity under construction rose 48% between December 2025 and June 2026, according to Cushman & Wakefield.
Analyst Dan Ives previously warned that political opposition could derail 10% to 15% of proposed U.S. data centers.
Image: Shutterstock
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