Voters in Harwood, North Dakota rejected a ballot measure against a $3 billion AI data center, even as other places pushed back. Here is what that means.
Voters in Harwood, North Dakota, chose to let a $3 billion data center move forward. They rejected a ballot measure that opposed the project, which is run by a company called Applied Digital and is set to open in 2027.
A data center is a large building full of computers. The biggest ones power AI tools. The Washington Post reports that on Election Day, much of the country turned against these massive projects. Harwood went the other way. The measure that was meant to oppose the data center did not pass.
Data centers can affect power bills, local taxes and jobs. That makes a local vote on one more than a distant tech story. If a project like this is proposed near you, the decision may land on a ballot or at a town meeting.
The material available does not explain why Harwood voters decided as they did. It also gives no vote counts, no job numbers and no details on what the town gets from the project. The Washington Post article, by Miriam Waldvogel, looks at why this place differed from the national mood.
Other towns may face similar votes. Whether Harwood is a one-off or a sign of something broader is not yet clear.
A Harwood vote kept a $3 billion AI data center on track, a reminder that local votes can decide where AI infrastructure gets built.
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