# Voters near data centers flip to Democrats

> Residents near data centers increasingly vote Democratic as opposition grows.
- Title: Voters near data centers flip to Democrats · Mother Jones
- Summary: Residents near data centers increasingly vote Democratic as opposition grows. Voters within a mile of data centers are 61% more likely to vote Democratic…
- Keywords: data centers, voters, democrats, republicans, midterm elections, yougov, economist, near, data, centers, flip, Mother Jones
- Source: Mother Jones — https://motherjones.com/politics/2026/10/survey-data-centers-gop-republican-voters-democrats-midterm-elections
- Author: Sophie Hurwitz
- Published: 2026-10-14T14:22:26+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: data centers, voters, democrats, republicans, midterm elections, yougov, economist
## Data center voters shift
Americans living near data centers are 61% more likely to vote Democratic this cycle than others, per YouGov/Economist survey.
## Rapid data center growth
Developers have secured land leases and begun construction on new hyperscale data centers at a dizzying rate across rural and suburban areas.
## Opposition groups surge
Data Center Opposition Report counts 268 local groups across 37 states organizing over 300,000 people.
## Projects canceled
Planned data center projects worth more than $260 billion have been canceled in 2026, per Heatmap.
## Political response
Donald Trump claims towns resisting data centers are 'backwards and poor' while candidates from both parties incorporate anti-data-center populism into campaign promises.

> backwards and poor
## Key takeaway

Voters within a mile of data centers are 61% more likely to vote Democratic this cycle than others, per YouGov/Economist survey.