Voters in five central Ohio communities backed restrictions on data center development on Tuesday, Nov. 3, according to unofficial results, with all Election Day precincts reporting.
Four communities approved outright bans or blocked specific projects with more than 73% of voters supporting the restrictive outcome. A fifth, Grove City, approved a charter change requiring voter approval for certain large developments, WBNS 10TV reported.
Central Ohio data center ballot results — Nov. 3, 2026
Community | County | Measure | Result | Margin | Precincts | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Granville | Licking | Charter amendment banning data centers | Approved | 82.45% | 3/3 (100%) | 2,015 | 429 |
Ashville | Pickaway | Referendum on EdgeConneX proposal | Rejected development | 81.61% | 4/4 (100%) | ||
Sunbury | Delaware | Charter amendment banning data centers >25 MW | Approved | 78.64% | 6/6 (100%) | ||
Pataskala | Licking | Charter amendment banning data centers | Approved | 73.62% | 8/8 (100%) | 5,418 | 1,941 |
Grove City | Franklin | Issue 28 — voter approval required for large developments | Approved | 54.6% | 30/30 (100%) | 11,317 | 9,411 |
Source: WBNS 10TV election results. All Election Day precincts reporting.
Granville posted the widest margin at 82.45%. Ashville voters rejected an EdgeConneX proposal for two data center buildings by 81.61%, after a fight that reached the Ohio Supreme Court. Sunbury's ban followed Amazon's proposed $2 billion data center project in the city.
In Pataskala, the ban came after Texas-based Aligned Data Centers sought approval to build three structures near East Broad and Mink streets. Grove City's Issue 28 differs from the others. It does not ban data centers outright but requires a public referendum for projects using 50 or more acres, more than 20 megawatts of electricity at peak capacity or more than 500,000 gallons of water per day.
The central Ohio votes were part of a national wave. Roughly 40 cities and towns across the country weighed measures to restrict data center development, and at least 33 voted in favor of restrictions, USA Today reported, citing the tracking website Data Centers on the Ballot. Ohio voters in at least 18 communities weighed restrictions, and all of those measures were approved, according to USA Today.
Dublin's data center debate
Dublin has been wrestling with data center zoning for more than a year. Jerome Township passed a 90-day data center moratorium on Sept. 3, 2025, and Washington Township trustees voted 3-0 on Dec. 8, 2025, to enact their own 90-day pause, the Columbus Dispatch reported. Washington Township also asked Dublin to adopt a similar moratorium.
"My position is that these centers are totally inconsistent with residential neighborhoods," Trustee Chuck Kranstuber told the Dispatch. He said experiences in other communities showed the facilities consume large amounts of energy and water and can emit noise.
Dublin responded in December 2025 that it had "no active proposals from data center developers and no new data centers under construction," according to a city statement provided to ABC 6. The city said its zoning framework meant "opportunities for additional data center development are limited."
Dublin City Council approved Ordinance 33-26 on July 1, 2026, removing data centers as permitted or conditional uses throughout the West Innovation District. Council also approved rezoning approximately 370 acres.
