Voters question Virginia’s direction and oppose sales tax exemption for data centers, new Commonwealth Poll finds
A new Commonwealth Poll in Virginia reveals that 72% of registered voters oppose sales tax exemptions for data centers, and 81% support requiring them to offset electricity demands. The findings also show that nearly half of Virginia voters believe the commonwealth is headed in the wrong direction and disapprove of Gov. Abigail Spanberger's job performance.
The Summer 2026 Commonwealth Poll, conducted by the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, indicates that a significant majority of Virginia voters are concerned about the state's direction and specific policies related to data centers. According to the survey, 72% of registered voters oppose granting sales tax exemptions as an incentive for data center development, with 49% strongly opposing the measure. This opposition spans party lines, including 73% of Democrats, 69% of Republicans, and 61% of independent voters.
Furthermore, 81% of registered voters support requiring data centers to pay additional fees to offset the increased electricity demand caused by their operations. Support for this requirement is high across political affiliations, with Democrats (88%) and independent voters (75%) showing stronger support than Republicans (69%). These findings reflect a public expectation that economic growth should be balanced with fiscal responsibility and prudent management of taxpayer dollars, as stated by Douglas Wilder, the 66th governor of Virginia.
The poll also highlighted broader public sentiment, with 47% of registered voters believing Virginia is headed in the wrong direction and 47% disapproving of Gov. Abigail Spanberger's job performance, which is noted as an unusually negative assessment for a new administration. Data centers were a major focus of this year's budget standoff between the House of Delegates and Senate, underscoring the political relevance of these poll results.