Crimeupdated 23m ago2 min read
Gallup Poll Finds U.S. Death Penalty Support Drops Below Majority Since 1971
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Gallup: 49% of U.S. adults support death penalty for murderers, below 50%. Opposition at 45%, highest since 1966.
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Poll Shows Majority Loss
Gallup polling found that 49% of U.S. adults are in favor of the death penalty for convicted murderers, while 45% are opposed.
“Forty-nine percent of U.S. adults are in favor of the death penalty for convicted murderers, and 45% are opposed.”
Gallup said the latest update “marks the first time support has been below the majority level since 1971,” when it was also at 49%.
Gallup reported that the last time support was lower than now was in 1966, when a record-low 42% favored the death penalty.
Gallup said the high point for support was 80% in 1994, and it said the latest findings come from an Oct. 1-19 Gallup poll.
Gallup said the poll began the day after the failed execution attempt of Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike.
Age and Party Divide
Gallup found that 54% of Americans aged 50 and older support the death penalty, while 39% of those under the age of 30 support it. Gallup reported that 28% of Democrats are in favor of the death penalty, while 73% of Republicans support it. Gallup said the differential changes between Democrats and Republicans led to an expanded party gap in death penalty support of 45 points today.
Death Penalty Information Center said the poll was conducted October 1 to 19 in the immediate aftermath of Tennessee’s failed execution of Christa Pike. Death Penalty Information Center said Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced plans to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan during the polling period, and it said those plans were cancelled following a public backlash.
Policy Aftermath and Clemency
The poll’s timing followed Tennessee’s failed execution attempt of Christa Pike, and Gallup said Tennessee’s governor paused executions in the state pending an investigation.
“Tennessee’s governor has since paused executions in that state pending an investigation.”
Axios said 35 executions have been conducted in 2026 and 47 were carried out in 2025, up nearly double from 25 the year prior and 24 in 2023.
Equal Justice Initiative said California Gov. Gavin Newsom commuted all 548 death sentences in his state to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Equal Justice Initiative said the decision reduced the U.S. death row population by nearly 30% to about 1,388 people, which it said is the fewest people with death sentences nationwide since 1984.
Equal Justice Initiative quoted Gallup saying, “Now, less than a majority of U.S. adults are in favor of it, which has not been the case in over 50 years.”