Central Ohio voters used the Nov. 3 election to draw a hard line around large data centers, approving bans or new limits in every community in the region where the issue was on the ballot, according to unofficial county returns. Pataskala, Granville and Sunbury each voted to ban data centers above 25 megawatts, Grove City voted to require a public referendum before large projects can proceed, and Ashville voters rejected a development agreement with EdgeConneX. The Columbus Dispatch reported Nov. 6 that voters in 18 Ohio municipalities backed restrictions or bans, fueling a push for a statewide vote in 2027.
The margins were rarely close. Pataskala’s charter amendment passed 5,418 to 1,941, or 73.62 percent, and Granville’s passed 2,015 to 429, or 82.45 percent, in Licking County’s unofficial results. Sunbury’s amendment passed 2,809 to 763, or 78.64 percent, in Delaware County. Grove City’s vote was the region’s tightest: Franklin County’s unofficial summary showed its Community Consent Amendment passing 11,317 to 9,411, or 54.60 percent, across all 30 precincts. In Pickaway County, Ashville voters turned down the EdgeConneX agreement 1,469 to 331.
The five communities chose different tools. Pataskala, Granville and Sunbury chose direct prohibitions above the 25-megawatt threshold. Grove City chose consent instead of a ban: its amendment applies broadly to heavy industrial development, and requires a public referendum for covered projects meeting any one of three tests — at least 50 contiguous acres, more than 20 megawatts of peak electrical demand, or more than 500,000 gallons of water per day. Ashville voted on a specific deal, rejecting the village resolution that had approved an agreement with EdgeConneX.
The votes followed a year of escalating friction. Grove City had already adopted a 12-month moratorium on data centers on June 1, The Columbus Dispatch reported. Pataskala acted after the city in August denied a proposal from Aligned Data Centers for three developments, according to The Dispatch. Across the region, residents had spent years filling council meetings, protesting, and petitioning measures onto the ballot.
The backdrop is a boom that has made Ohio a top-five data center state, with nearly 250 data centers in 66 of its 88 counties, according to Data Center Map figures cited by The Columbus Dispatch, and 27 more under construction and 57 planned as of Nov. 4. Supporters, including JobsOhio, say the projects bring jobs, tax revenue and technology infrastructure. Ballotpedia counted 41 data center measures on Nov. 3 ballots nationwide, 21 of them in Ohio — more than any other state.
Opponents say those benefits have not answered concerns about property values, electric bills, water use, noise and light pollution, lost green space and opaque deals with technology companies, The Columbus Dispatch reported. Alicia Doty, an educator living just outside Sunbury near land annexed for a proposed Amazon campus, fought to place Sunbury’s ban on the ballot even though she could not vote on it herself. “Obviously, I’m thrilled,” Doty told The Columbus Dispatch. “Our residents now have a resounding voice.”
The industry warns that communities which close the door may pay for it. Dan Diorio of the Data Center Coalition said in an emailed statement to The Columbus Dispatch that places signaling they are “closed for business” could miss out on investment. The Dispatch cited an Ohio Chamber of Commerce study reporting data centers created over 95,000 jobs in Ohio, while noting the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel has cautioned that not all of those jobs are permanent. JobsOhio did not respond to The Dispatch’s questions about the results.
Organizers say the message is simpler. Nick Owens, a founding member of the grassroots group Conserve Ohio, questioned, in remarks reported by The Columbus Dispatch, why companies had not partnered with communities from the start. In Pataskala, organizer Lee Guttentag told The Newark Advocate that “our city has spoken” — a quote carried in The Dispatch’s Nov. 6 report.
What we know — and what we’re still waiting on
What we know is the shape of the vote: five central Ohio communities, five decisions against large data centers as currently proposed, all in unofficial returns with every precinct reported. What we are still waiting on is certification. The Ohio Secretary of State’s office has said certified results are expected approximately three weeks after the election, after county boards complete their canvass — so the charter changes are not final until then. Also unknown is how developers will respond: redesigning below the thresholds, moving elsewhere, or challenging the measures.
The next fight is already forming statewide. Conserve Ohio is collecting signatures to place a ban on data centers using more than 25 megawatts per month in the Ohio Constitution, and Owens told The Columbus Dispatch that over 150,000 signatures have been collected in all 88 counties, against the more than 400,000 needed. Governor-elect Amy Acton has supported a pause on construction until guardrails are in place, including ending non-disclosure agreements and requiring companies to cover all utility costs, The Dispatch reported.
What happens next runs on two clocks. First, county boards will canvass and certify the Nov. 3 results in the coming weeks, at which point the four charter changes take effect and Ashville’s rejection becomes final. Second, the statewide signature drive continues toward a possible 2027 ballot question, while the incoming Acton administration, which takes office in January, decides how far a statewide pause can go. For developers, the map of central Ohio sites buildable without a public vote just shrank.
Photo: Carlemiller, CC BY-SA