City Vote on Data Centers Delivers a 'Landslide'

California just delivered a first-of-its-kind verdict on the data infrastructure behind AI—and it wasn't a yes. Voters in Monterey Park on Tuesday overwhelmingly backed a ballot measure to permanently outlaw data centers within city limits, with early returns showing more than 86% support. City officials had already imposed an open-ended pause on such facilities after a proposed 250,000-square-foot project from investment firm HMC StratCap stirred concern over pollution, water and power use, higher utility bills, and its proximity to homes, the Guardian reports. "Basically it caused a revolt," a voter tells CBS News.

Putting the ban on the ballot was designed to make it harder to overturn and more defensible in court, says councilmember Jose Sanchez, who declared a "landslide victory" against data centers. The measure, which will stay in place unless voters decide otherwise, positions Monterey Park at the forefront of a broader national pushback. A Gallup poll finds roughly seven in 10 Americans don't want AI data centers nearby, and a handful of communities in Wisconsin and Michigan are also turning to the ballot box to slow projects or tighten oversight. The Data Center Coalition warns Monterey Park's move tells companies the city is "closed for business" and will send jobs and tax revenue elsewhere.