VOTE: Would a dividend payment make you support a data center in your community?

A proposed new way to win local support is at the center of a poll asking whether a dividend payment would make residents back a data center in their community. The debate follows a plan from President Trump that AI companies generate their own electricity and pay financial “dividends” to hosting communities, aiming to reduce opposition as data centers expand. Republicans are also promoting alternatives, including Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s proposal to provide free electricity to nearby residents. Data centers have become a major bipartisan issue ahead of the midterms, with campaigns arguing over electricity costs, water use, jobs, and whether communities benefit from the AI boom.