Many voters care about AI data centers, but other issues rank higher

AI data centers are on a lot of voters' minds, but they are not the main event. A Gallup poll released Thursday found about 30% of respondents call data center construction an extremely important factor in their midterm vote. Another 23% call it very important. Even so, the issue ranked only 10th among the topics Gallup asked about.

What the poll found

Data centers are the huge warehouses of computers that power chatbots and other AI tools. Gallup interviewed people earlier this month, with the midterm elections about a week away. Here is how the topics stacked up.

• About 30% said data center construction is extremely important to their vote.
• 23% more called it very important.
• It placed 10th, just ahead of climate change at 11th.
• The economy led, with 87% calling it important, then healthcare at 77%.

The situation in Iran also ranked among the top issues. The article also points to rising energy prices as a pressing concern for voters.

A big split by party

Democrats care much more. Among registered Democrats, 42% called the issue extremely important. Among registered Republicans, it was 16%. One limit to keep in mind: Gallup did not ask whether people support or oppose data centers. It only asked how much the issue will weigh on their vote.

Why the issue is so loud

Data centers have had a rough year for public image. Protests have popped up at local town hall meetings and at major rallies in Washington. Some states have passed moratoriums, which are bans on building new ones. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, once a supporter of expansion, said in August that the state had halted as many as 1,800 proposals.

President Donald Trump backs a national push to build AI infrastructure. In August he said data centers "could use a little public relations help." He urged builders such as Meta, Microsoft and Amazon to do more for the communities where projects are planned.

Attitudes may be hardening in rural areas. A Pew Research Center poll, taken in August, found half of rural Americans say data centers are mostly bad for the environment. In January, that figure was 32%.

What it means for AI companies

For OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, Google and others, this is a make-or-break issue. Without data centers, they cannot power the products they sell. Sam Altman suggested in July that new ones could go far from people, saying "We should just go put it off in the desert, around no one where no one wants to be."