The Upper Sandusky data center fight ended at the ballot box on November 3, 2026. Voters in the northwest Ohio town of about 6,600 people approved a ban on large data centers inside city limits, with nearly 77% in favor, after months of opposition to a proposed $900 million project.
It is one of the clearest examples yet of local residents pushing back on the infrastructure behind the AI boom. Here is how the Upper Sandusky data center fight played out, and what the vote does and does not change.
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What happened in the Upper Sandusky data center vote
According to Tom’s Guide, 1,893 voters supported the charter amendment and 568 opposed it, citing the local Daily Chief Union. The amendment prohibits data centers with an electrical demand or peak load above 25 megawatts inside the city.
The vote followed a proposal from Smartland Energy, which in June suggested building data centers and a 150-megawatt natural gas power plant on roughly 146 acres near the northern edge of town. The price tag was about $900 million.
How residents organized
Tom’s Guide says the campaign began when a local newspaper article was shared in a Facebook group. A dedicated group grew to roughly 700 members, a big number in a town of 6,600. Residents then attended public meetings, requested records and pressed officials for answers about water, electricity bills and zoning.
Smartland Energy withdrew its zoning request as opposition grew. On July 6, the city council unanimously approved a six-month moratorium on data centers and related power plants. Organizers then worked with attorneys from the Ohio group Conserve Ohio, one of them pro bono, to draft the charter amendment that went to voters.
The petition nearly failed
The campaign against the Upper Sandusky data center almost missed the ballot. Organizers believed they needed 155 signatures and submitted 301 on August 3, but officials accepted only 192, and the city charter actually required 212. With hours left, they collected 50 more on August 5. Officials accepted 37, bringing the total to 229, just 17 above the requirement.
Upper Sandusky was not alone
Ohio voters weighed in on data centers in many places that day. StockAnalysis reports that at least 14 Ohio towns passed data center bans or limits on November 3, across votes in 18 municipalities. Ten imposed outright bans on large data centers, including Upper Sandusky, and four passed new limits. All Ohio results are unofficial until county boards certify them.
Other results varied by town. About 82% of voters in Ashville voted to undo the village’s agreement with EdgeConneX, though construction has already started and the vote will not stop it. Wilmington voters rejected a rezoning for a planned data center with about 80%.
Why residents are worried about AI data centers
Training and running AI models takes large amounts of computing power and electricity. Developers and supporters say data centers bring construction jobs, tax revenue and infrastructure investment. Residents in Upper Sandusky listed higher electricity bills, water use, noise, environmental effects and a change to the rural character of the area as their main concerns, per Tom’s Guide.
Smartland Energy, the company behind the Upper Sandusky data center plan, did not respond to Tom’s Guide’s request for comment by publication time, so the company’s side of the story is thin in the coverage we read.
The vote matters beyond one town because it shows a template. A small group of residents used a local Facebook group, public records requests and a charter amendment to set a binding rule. Supporters of data centers argue that such bans can also turn away jobs and tax revenue, so expect the debate to continue in other Ohio communities and beyond.
What is still open
The ban covers qualifying data centers inside Upper Sandusky’s city limits, not all of Wyandot County. Much of the surrounding area is unincorporated township land, and some of it has no comparable zoning protections. Organizers say they are now working on county-level options, such as a moratorium and zoning changes. Whether a developer tries again just outside the city remains an open question.
For the wider policy fight over AI, see our report on the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act and the rest of our AI coverage.
Upper Sandusky data center FAQ
**What did voters approve?** A ban on data centers with a peak electrical load above 25 megawatts inside Upper Sandusky city limits.
**How big was the margin?** 1,893 votes for and 568 against, or nearly 77% in favor.
**Is the project dead?** The ban covers the city only. The surrounding county is not covered.
Sources: Tom’s Guide, StockAnalysis
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