Ballotpedia tracked 329 elected officials targeted for recall across 26 states between January 1 and June 30, 2026. This figure marks the highest number of officials targeted for recall at midyear since 2014.

During this period, 205 recall efforts commenced. Michigan had the highest number of targeted officials, with 108, which accounted for nearly one-third of all officials tracked nationwide at midyear 2026. This represents the highest number Ballotpedia has recorded for a single state at the midyear point, and the third-highest annual total for Michigan since tracking began.

City council members were the most frequently targeted officeholders, with 151 individuals named in recall efforts. Mayors and school board members followed, each with 51 individuals targeted. Ballotpedia began tracking recalls specifically related to data center developments in 2026.

Throughout the first half of 2026, 33 recall efforts targeted 58 officials regarding data center projects. In California, Imperial County Board of Supervisors Chair Peggy Price faced a recall effort related to her support for a proposed data center project; this effort did not proceed to a vote. Additionally, voters in Avenal, California, recalled the mayor and three city council members in April 2026. The Avenal city council later rejected these certified election results, leading recall organizers to file a quo warranto action to challenge the officials' continued authority.

In Michigan, an effort is underway to recall all seven members of the Lyon Township board. Organizers there cited trustee pay raises and the approval of a proposed 1.8 million-square-foot data center as reasons for the recall. In Festus, Missouri, organizers sought to recall the mayor and three city council members over their support for a proposed $6 billion data center project. The city of Festus did not place these recalls on the ballot, prompting organizers to file a writ of mandamus seeking a court order for the elections to be held.