Alhambra Voters Will Decide Whether to Ban Data Centers Citywide This November
A quiet but growing fight over data centers in the San Gabriel Valley just reached a major turning point — and this time, the decision will land directly in voters’ hands.
The Alhambra City Council voted unanimously on Monday to place a measure on the November ballot asking local voters whether to ban data centers across the entire city. If residents say yes, Alhambra could join a very short list of California cities that have blocked these facilities through a public vote.
Here’s what the measure would do, how it got here, and what happens next.
Why This Vote Matters
The stakes go beyond Alhambra’s borders. If the measure passes, Alhambra would become just the second city in California to enact a data center ban through a ballot vote.
The first was its neighbor. Back in June, Monterey Park became the first city to pass such a ban at the ballot box — a milestone that clearly helped pave the way for what’s now unfolding in Alhambra. Two adjacent San Gabriel Valley cities moving in the same direction within months of each other signals a regional shift, not a one-off.
What the Ballot Measure Actually Does
Alhambra’s council didn’t arrive at this overnight. The groundwork was laid in stages.
Earlier on, council members voted to establish an official definition of exactly what qualifies as a data center — a necessary first step, since you can’t regulate what you haven’t clearly defined. Then, at a meeting last month, they added data centers to the list of prohibited facilities in the city’s office and industrial zones.
The new ballot measure takes that a significant step further. Rather than limiting the prohibition to certain zones, it proposes expanding the ban to cover the entire city. In effect, a yes vote would shut the door on data centers anywhere within Alhambra’s limits.
Residents Are Paying Attention to the Fine Print
One of the more revealing moments at Monday’s meeting had nothing to do with the ban itself — and everything to do with how it’s worded.
Andrew Yip, an Alhambra resident and organizer with the group SGV Progressive Action, used his time to raise a practical concern about ballot language. He pointed to Monterey Park’s June measure, which was titled Measure NDC — short for “No Data Center.” According to Yip, that name left some opponents of data centers genuinely unsure whether they should be voting yes or no.
“It was very confusing,” Yip said, urging the city to pick a clearer acronym. His suggestion was blunt and memorable: maybe use “BAN,” so voters instantly understand that a yes vote means banning the facilities.
It’s a small detail with real consequences. Confusing ballot language can quietly sink a measure that voters actually support, and organizers clearly don’t want a repeat of any uncertainty.
The Bigger Backstory
This ballot measure didn’t materialize in a vacuum. It’s the product of sustained grassroots organizing across the region.
Local residents and advocacy groups — including No Data Centers San Gabriel Valley and No Data Center in Monterey Park — have been mobilizing against the construction of data centers and the infrastructure that powers them, such as battery energy storage systems. Their efforts have already produced tangible results.
In March, plans for a proposed data center in Monterey Park were withdrawn after public backlash. Then in June, the Covina Planning Commission voted down a proposed battery storage system following community input. Add Monterey Park’s successful ballot ban to that list, and a clear pattern emerges: organized residents in the San Gabriel Valley have repeatedly managed to stop these projects, whether through developer retreats, commission votes, or the ballot box.
Alhambra’s measure is the next front in that campaign — and arguably the most direct test yet of how the broader community feels.
What Happens Next
The timeline from here is straightforward. Alhambra voters will decide the fate of data centers in their city during the general election on November 3.
The bar for passage is a simple majority — the measure needs more than half of local voters to approve it in order to take effect. No supermajority, no special threshold. Just a straight up-or-down decision from the electorate.
How to Follow the Alhambra City Council
For residents who want to stay engaged between now and November, the council keeps a fairly regular and accessible schedule. It typically meets a few times a month, generally on Mondays, with meetings usually starting at 6 p.m.
There are several ways to keep tabs on what’s happening. You can attend in person at City Hall in the Council Chambers, located at 111 S. First St. in Alhambra. If you’d rather watch from home, the city offers a live broadcast of its meetings online. And for those who want to weigh in directly, the city provides instructions on how to submit a public comment or contact council members.
The Bottom Line
Alhambra’s unanimous vote to put a citywide data center ban on the November ballot hands residents a rare, direct say over the future of their community. With Monterey Park having already blazed the trail in June and grassroots momentum building across the San Gabriel Valley, all eyes now turn to Election Day.
Whether Alhambra becomes California’s second city to ban data centers by public vote comes down to a single question on November 3 — and, as this week’s meeting made clear, possibly to how carefully that question is worded.
Source: LAist — Alhambra ballot measure to ban data centers (2026)