Voters Reshape State Policies on Taxes, Guns and AI Data Centers Across 146 Ballot Measures
Across the nation on Tuesday, Americans weighed in on 146 statewide ballot measures that tackled everything from local tax codes and gun restrictions to the sprawling infrastructure powering artificial intelligence. The midterm results delivered significant policy shifts, representing a sweep for Democrats while revealing widespread voter skepticism toward industrial tech developments and new local taxes.
Tax policy was front and center in several states. In California, voters weighed a high-stakes, one-off 5% tax on individuals holding more than $1 billion in assets, intended to direct the bulk of revenue toward health care services. The battle over the proposal became one of the most expensive ballot fights in state history, remaining too close to call as of Wednesday afternoon. Meanwhile, Washington state voters signaled early support for keeping a tax on individuals and households earning more than $1 million.
Other states took direct steps to cap or eliminate taxes entirely. Tennessee voters approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting the state from levying a statewide property tax—a tax it hasn’t collected since 1949. North Carolinians approved an amendment to cap the maximum personal income tax at 3.5%, and Arizona voters approved a measure banning cities and towns from raising taxes on groceries through July 2027.
Voters Push Back on AI Data Centers and Realign Local Laws
Voters in at least 38 jurisdictions registered sharp opposition to the massive facilities required to power artificial intelligence technology. Communities in California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin all voted to enact restrictions on data centers. Candidates spent up to $40 million on campaign ads targeting the issue, reflecting public anxiety over infrastructure costs. A June Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that 77% of Americans are concerned about data centers driving up electricity rates, with two-thirds of Democrats and half of Republicans opposed to hosting facilities in their local areas.
Ohio served as a primary battleground for the tech backlash, featuring 21 ballot measures mentioning data centers. Voters in Trenton, Ohio, approved a ban on data centers larger than 25 megawatts, while Hubbard banned data center construction of any size, including conversions of existing structures. Ohio voters also turned down proposals to rezone rural residential land to light industrial use for these facilities. Harwood, North Dakota, stood out as an exception, where 75% of voters chose not to place restrictions on industrial projects.
Voters also decided major policy questions concerning firearms, education, and municipal rules. Massachusetts voters chose to retain a 2024 law that established some of the strictest gun regulations in the country, requiring “ghost guns” to have a serial number, broadened the definition of “assault-style firearm” and expanded the state’s red flag laws. In Idaho, voters expressed a preference for The Winchester Model 1873 as the official state gun among six candidates, though the state legislature must pass a separate law to formalize the selection.
In public education, Alabama passed initiatives requiring local school boards to adopt policies directing K-12 public schools to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and perform the first stanza of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at least once a week. Meanwhile, residents in Washington, D.C., and Denver passed ballot initiatives banning the sale and force-feeding of birds for foie gras, following a high-profile local debate featuring public appearances by a real duck named Olivia.