By September 4, 2026, opposition to local data center development had become a bipartisan midterm issue, with about 75% of Americans opposed. Polling shows the shift steep, from roughly four in ten voters last August to seven in ten by May, and Marquette Law finds 70-30 opposition regardless of proximity. About 60% of projects are now paused or delayed, more than 300 localities have imposed construction moratoriums, and at least 35 related measures are on ballots. The discussion has moved to what communities get in return: Mount Pleasant officials say they would not need subsidies if they redid the deal, while Microsoft is set to pay $19.6 million in property taxes there and a third-party data center has slipped.