NORC polling takeaways — Arkansans worried about economy, healthcare, data center impact

And 66% of the state’s likely voters said they’d support regulating private insurance to make it more affordable.

Official response and confirmed impact

The polling showed heavy concerns among Arkansas voters about data centers, especially when it comes to utility costs.

Nearly two-thirds of likely voters in Arkansas said they were extremely or very concerned about data centers impacting the price of utilities, including electricity and water, in the communities where they are built.

Sixty percent data centers said they were extremely or very concerned about data centers impacting pollution of natural resources, including air and water, in the communities where they are built.

Fifty-seven percent of likely voters in the state said they somewhat or strongly oppose the construction of a data center in their area.

The responses come as communities around the state have enacted measures in recent months to temporarily prevent data centers from moving into their areas or to impose new regulations on them.

The surveys also showed widespread support for more guardrails on AI, with 65% of likely voters saying they support more regulation of artificial intelligence and 67% supporting policies to limit their use in public elementary and high schools.