Voters in at least five Ohio communities approved charter amendments on Nov. 3 that ban, cap or put to a public vote data center development, and in one city they also removed the elected officials who had backed a project. The results are unofficial and come from public radio and local television reports, most of which cite county boards of elections.

WVXU/WYSO reported that 17 other Ohio communities besides Trenton also voted on data center-related ballot measures, the most in the nation. Below is what passed, what each measure does, and what the sources say about the projects affected.

Trenton: Issue 17 Caps Data Centers at 25 MW

The Butler County Board of Elections' November 2026 ballot issue list shows Trenton's measure as "Issue 17 - City of Trenton - Charter Amendment - Article IX, Section 9.06 'Prohibition of Construction of a Data Center.'" The list shows the issue was filed on Sept. 4, 2026, and certified on Sept. 9, 2026.

WYSO/WVXU reported that Issue 17 passed with 80 percent of the vote, based on unofficial Butler County Board of Elections results. The amendment bans data centers larger than 25 megawatts within city limits.

According to WYSO/WVXU, the measure blocks plans to annex land for what the station described as a 1,000-MW Amazon data center. It also puts in question the future of a 250-MW Prologis facility that the station reported is currently being built in the city's industrial park.

An opposition group, the Trenton Community Alliance, campaigned against the measure. WYSO/WVXU reported that the group was funded by outside interests including the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and Prologis, and that it said the ban would limit economic opportunities for the city. The city has said the data centers would bring benefits such as a one-year elimination of the general fund property tax and millions of dollars for Edgewood City Schools, according to the station.

Piqua: A Ban and a Recall

Piqua voters approved a charter amendment prohibiting construction of a data center with 67 percent of the vote, WYSO reported.

In a separate special election on the same day, more than 70 percent of voters chose to recall three city commissioners who had supported a controversial data center, according to unofficial Miami County Board of Elections results cited by WYSO. The three are Mayor James Vetter, Vice Mayor Frank DeBrosse and Commissioner William Fredrick Walker Jr.

WYSO reported that Damon Wilson and Kim Heisler, who ran unopposed, will replace Walker and DeBrosse, and that Jim Sheats narrowly won the seat held by Vetter, according to the unofficial results.

Oregon and Defiance: 25-MW Caps

In Oregon, near Toledo, Issue 25 caps data centers at 25 MW. It passed with 60 percent of the vote, 13abc/WTVG reported. The measure reached the ballot after signature gathering by United Neighbors of Oregon over a proposed Vantage Data Centers project near Wynn and Corduroy roads, according to the station.

13abc also reported that Defiance voters approved a charter amendment prohibiting data centers over 25 MW. Defiance also has a data center moratorium that went into effect in September and is set to last six months, the station said. The report did not give a vote percentage for Defiance.

Not every measure went the same way. 13abc reported that voters in Monroeville, in Huron County, rejected a data center advisory question, which it said does not prohibit data centers but helps village council members gauge public sentiment.

Grove City: Citywide Votes on Large Developments

Grove City's Issue 28 is broader than a data center ban. According to WOSU, the charter amendment requires a citywide vote for developments above a certain size. It passed with 54.61 percent of the vote, per unofficial Franklin County Board of Elections results reported by WOSU.

WOSU reported that the measure was brought to the ballot by Protect Grove City and opposed by Save Grove City, a group the station said was created by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. The station said Save Grove City opposed the amendment because it was too broad and could hurt development in Grove City.

How the Measures Differ

The amendments use different tools:

  • Size caps: Trenton, Oregon and Defiance set a 25-MW threshold, according to the sources. By the sources' figures, that is far below the 1,000-MW Amazon plan WYSO/WVXU reported in Trenton and the 250-MW Prologis facility it described there.
  • A prohibition: Piqua's amendment, as WYSO described it, prohibits construction of a data center.
  • A required public vote: Grove City's Issue 28, as WOSU described it, requires a citywide vote on developments above a certain size rather than naming data centers alone.

In at least two cities, Trenton and Grove City, the sources reported that the Ohio Chamber of Commerce funded or created the opposing campaign.

What Happens Next

All of the results above are unofficial, as reported by the Butler, Miami and Franklin county boards of elections (for Trenton, Piqua and Grove City) and by the outlets cited here. The sources do not give a certification date.

In Piqua, WYSO named Damon Wilson, Kim Heisler and Jim Sheats as the replacements for the three recalled commissioners. In Defiance, 13abc reported that the six-month moratorium that took effect in September remains in place alongside the new charter amendment.

The sources do not say what will happen to the Prologis facility under construction in Trenton, the proposed Amazon annexation, or the Vantage Data Centers proposal in Oregon now that the measures have passed. WYSO/WVXU reported only that the Trenton measure puts the Prologis facility's future in question. DataCenterFeed will report on-the-record responses from the cities, the developers and the county boards of elections as they are issued.

Sources