In January 2026, the Frederick County Council passed Ordinance 26-01-001, expanding by nearly 1,000 acres the land available for data center development in Frederick County, Maryland.

Shortly thereafter, county residents exercised their constitutional right to a public referendum to put the ordinance on the ballot for a public vote. On April 3, the Frederick County Board of Elections deemed the Referendum Petition sufficient to place the issue on the ballot, having collected 21,029 signatures, 5,418 over a legal requirement of 15,611.

Between April 10 and 13, five lawsuits were filed challenging the decision to place the referendum on the ballot, which are now in litigation before the Frederick County Circuit Court.

Frederick County Data Center Referendum Committee