GoKawiilNYT/Siena poll: 61% of voters oppose AI data center construction, split by party
A New York Times/Siena University poll of 1,503 likely voters conducted in early September found 61 percent opposed building data centers for AI, with only 14 percent strongly supportive. Opposition skewed heavily among Harris voters and non-voters, while 2024 Trump voters were nearly evenly split between support and opposition. Environmental and water-use concerns topped the list of reasons for opposition, followed by community impact and general distrust of AI.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Despite widespread public skepticism toward AI infrastructure, the issue barely registers as a voting priority compared to the economy or inflation, meaning politicians face little immediate electoral pressure to act on it. This gap between disapproval and political urgency helps explain why neither party has staked out a clear anti-data-center platform, even as local opposition to specific projects grows.
- 61% of surveyed voters oppose AI data center construction, but only 14% strongly support it.
- Opposition splits along 2024 voting lines: Trump voters nearly even, Harris voters and non-voters mostly opposed.
- Despite dislike, AI/data centers rank below 1% as a top voting issue for most demographics.
Source: theverge.com — Richard Lawler, 2026-09-15
Published there as: “Voters mostly don’t like AI and data centers, but neither party seems to have an edge”
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