The center called the May survey of 1,500 registered voters nationwide one of the most comprehensive studies on the death penalty. Conducted by Lake Research Partners, it has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percent.
Pollster Celinda Lake said the conventional wisdom has it that most American voters favor the death penalty, but “we found the conventional wisdom, as is often the case, was wrong.”
The survey found that:
•Sixty-one percent favor punishment other than death for murder, including life imprisonment without parole and with restitution to victims’ families (39 percent), life without parole (13 percent) and life with the possibility of parole (9 percent). Thirty-three percent favored the death penalty.
•Asked if they would be more or less likely to vote for a representative who favored repeal of capital punishment, 38 percent said it would make no difference in their vote, 35 percent said they’d be less likely to vote for the candidate and 24 percent would be more likely.
•Sixty-five percent would scrap the death penalty in favor of life without parole if the money saved would be used to finance crime prevention efforts.
Respondents expressed concern about the fairness of applying the death penalty, the possibility of executing innocent people and the systemic cost of the punishment. Hispanics and voters under 30 are particularly opposed to it.
The poll varies considerably from a Gallup poll released Nov. 8, which found that 64 percent of Americans generally, not just registered voters, support the death penalty. When given a choice between the death penalty and life with no possibility of parole, the Gallup respondents split 49-46 percent.
Ohio has executed eight men this year, the most in any one year since 1949, when 15 were put to death. Gov. Ted Strickland commuted three death sentences this year, including that of Sidney Cornwell on Monday.
Dieter said Ohio ranks second in executions in 2010 to Texas’ 17, with Alabama ranking third with five.
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