Authored by Bryan Hyde via American Greatness,
A new poll from the Rainey Center for Public Policy shows just 7 percent of registered voters view data centers as a top-three national political issue, confirming that fewer than 10 percent prioritize them at the federal level.
The Washington Examiner reports that the survey of 1,004 registered voters found that found that national concern over data centers remains low with artificial intelligence itself drawing just 12 percent support as a top issue.
The poll was conducted between Sept. 10 and 14, after former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon quit his role and warned of the existential threat of AI, sparking a nationwide conversation about AI regulation.
Voters have a clear ask: build it right. 71% support requiring data-center operators to sign community benefits agreements – covering things like jobs, tax revenue, and grid upgrades – before construction begins. Read our September Policy Survey: Summary of Findings – link in… pic.twitter.com/gb1O7nDMUx
— Rainey Center (@RaineyCenter) September 20, 2026
Fifty-seven percent of survey respondents listed “grocery prices, gas and household utilities” as the most salient issue, followed by 30 percent listing jobs and the economy, and 20 percent listing affordable housing.
The poll showed AI as the 13th-most salient issue, directly following energy costs and transgender issues in schools and sports, with data centers being built in communities coming in as the 15th-most salient issue, behind cybersecurity.
According to PBS Newshour , while voters do not rank data centers high on national political agendas, opposition spikes dramatically when facilities are planned nearby.
Fifrt-eight percent of voters say new tech data centers have a mostly negative effect on the country and 65 percent of voters oppose building these facilities in their own communities.
Meanwhile 25 percent of voters say they support local data center construction.
The polling results follow a week of federal and state lawmakers debating how and whether to proceed with additional AI regulations in the face of calls for guardrails on their own industry from frontier AI lab leaders , according to the Washington Examiner.
When questioned on what specifically should be the top three priorities for lawmakers on data centers and AI, 48 percent of survey respondents responded “holding AI companies liable for harms,” while 38 percent answered that “data centers pay their own electricity.”
National leaders remain largely divided on the issue, with President Donald Trump calling on people to ignore the calls for new guardrails because of the United States’ AI race with China.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 09/23/2026 – 15:40
