2026 US Midterm Elections Exit Polls: AI Ranks Last Among Issues, Data Centers Face Public Resistance

On November 4, 2026, the US midterm election voting day, NBC News and SSRS released exit polls examining how AI and data center issues influenced voters' choices. Results showed that 56% of respondents considered the issue an important factor in deciding or influencing their vote, ranking last among the five issues surveyed: government corruption topped the list at 90%, cost of living at 89%, the war with Iran at 74%, and immigration enforcement at 73%. Although public interest in AI has risen noticeably in recent months, the issue still ranked last in electoral importance. In the early hours of November 5, The Verge reported that the election results indicated data center development would face a more restrictive environment, citing an NBC News poll showing 76% of voters oppose building data centers in their communities. Follow-up reports stated that with Democrats controlling Congress after the midterms, data center construction is becoming a political issue and may face larger-scale political resistance; the reports also said more than half of respondents believe AI does more harm than good, and nearly 80% oppose building data centers near their communities. The claim that "nearly 60% said data centers were an important factor in their vote" is roughly consistent with the earlier figure of 56%.

AI overview of reporting · Updated 12 h前

1. 11/5 00:05 · 2 reports
   Data Center Construction Faces More Restrictions After U.S. Midterm Elections
   The Verge · AI：Data centers lost the midterms
2. 11/4 18:45 · 1 reports
   2026 US Midterm Elections Exit Poll: AI Ranks Last Among Issues
   The Decoder：Exit polls show AI ranked last among voter priorities in the 2026 U.S. midterms