‘Hideous’ and ‘devastating’: Data centers are shaping how these women vote

Women have been at the forefront of a fast-growing, bipartisan backlash to data centers, packing local meetings, organizing protests and even running for office. Now, less than a week from Election Day, some are saying it’s reshaping how they plan to vote. Half of Americans think data centers are affecting home energy costs, a perception that is adding to voters’ concerns around affordability ahead of the elections, according to a September survey by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center.

In addition, more than half think data centers are bad for the environment, up from 39 percent in January. It’s one of the few issues that has bypassed partisan polarization, and broken down by gender, the opposition is strongest among women. According to a Gallup poll from May, 55 percent of women said they strongly opposed data centers compared with 43 percent of men.

The 19th spoke with five women — both Republicans and Democrats — about what has driven their opposition and how that has informed their vote. In 2023, when a data center that hosts a bitcoin mining operation set up shop across the street from her home, Cheryl Shadden became involved in a battle to find peace again in the rural community she’s lived in for 41 years. The operation, which runs 24 hours a day and houses 60,000 computers, has inundated residents like Shadden with nonstop noise, leading to health issues — such as vertigo, hearing loss and migraines — and negatively impacted property values.

Residents are blasted with bright lights and incessant noise, and they can’t sleep, she said. But when she asked her congressman, Rep. Roger Williams, for help, she said his staff responded that he supports the data center industry.

After Shadden connected with Sims, Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Gina Hinojosa reached out and arranged to visit the community to hear from residents. Shadden has since appeared in a campaign commercial for Hinojosa. Why would I give them another shot at raking my community over the coals and harming my neighbors?” she said.

She said her decision to vote for Democrats this election is far from an anomaly in her county: “The rural rebellion is in full swing, and if you aren’t going to protect your constituents, then it’s time to give somebody else a shot.” Over the summer, Maranda Edwards was devastated to learn that one of the largest data centers planned in Virginia would be built in Wythe County where she lives. It was the second data center announced in a year in the county and would span 1,000 acres. To visualize how big that is, an acre is a little smaller than a football field.