National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said the U.S. data-center buildout remains on track despite voters backing restrictions in more than 30 towns and cities across nine states during Tuesday’s midterm elections. He said projects scheduled for the next couple of years were unaffected and that development would continue in states whose governors support the facilities, while states opposing them could reconsider as their economic benefits become clearer. Hassett attributed Thursday’s sharp stock-market decline partly to uncertainty over what a new congressional majority could mean for data centers; the Nasdaq Composite fell 5.5%. An NBC News exit poll found that 56% of midterm voters considered data centers a major or crucial concern, with 62% support for the generic Democratic candidate among voters calling the issue crucial. Developers had canceled at least $260 billion in planned U.S. data-center projects by mid-October, mostly at the local level. Meta Platforms President Dina Powell McCormick said new U.S. buildouts would be very challenging, though expanding existing projects should be easier. Texas Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa said the state should pause data-center activity until stronger protections are enacted. President Donald Trump has expressed support for states seeking to attract artificial-intelligence facilities, while Hassett has described AI as a well-financed ecosystem.