If the death penalty has to be imposed, lethal injection should be the method used
Democrats61%
Republicans74%
Independents63%
Source: The Economist/YouGov, May 5, 2026
Chart: Americans Agree
Chart: Americans Agree
Death Penalty Method, Lethal Injection
The Economist/YouGov, May 5, 2026
Details
| Question | If the death penalty has to be imposed, which of the following methods of executing a person do you think should be used? |
| Item | Lethal injection |
| Response | Should be used |
| Poll Main Page | The Economist/YouGov Poll, May 1-4, 2026 |
| Interview Period | May 1, 2026 to May 4, 2026 |
| Sample Size | 1,573 |
| Note | The other choices were electrocution, firing squad, and hanging. None of these received majority support by any single party. Having received majority support from Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, lethal injection was the clear preference. |
| Policy Context | When this poll was conducted in early May 2026, the U.S. Justice Department had recently recommended the federal government add electrocution, firing squad, and gas asphyxiation to its available methods of execution, in addition to lethal injection, which is already used. Drug-makers have increasingly prohibited government entities from buying drugs for use in lethal injection. As a result, some U.S. states, and now the federal government, have pursued other execution methods. |