A recent poll by Quinnipiac University found that Ohioans support life sentences over the death penalty for people convicted of murder. A total of 49% of respondents chose sentences of life without parole (40%) or life with parole (9%), compared to just 43% who chose the death penalty. The survey also showed a 4‑point drop in death penalty support in just the last three months. In February, 47% of respondents said they preferred the death penalty. Death penalty support was much lower among blacks than among whites, with only 22% of blacks saying they preferred the death penalty over the life-sentence options, compared to 46% of whites. Among various age groups, younger people (age 18 – 29), showed the lowest support for the death penalty (33%) when compared to life sentences.
When considered abstractly without a choice of alternative sentences, 69% of Ohioans supported capital punishment.
(P. Brown, “Ohio Gov Roars Past Little Known Challenger, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Support For Life Options Outweighs Death Penalty,” Quinnipiac University, May 14, 2014). See Public Opinion and Life Without Parole.
- Death Penalty Information Center (2025, March 14). Ohio Residents Support Life Sentences Over Death Penalty. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/ohio-residents-support-life-sentences-over-death-penalty
- Death Penalty Information Center. “Ohio Residents Support Life Sentences Over Death Penalty.” Last modified March 14, 2025. Accessed October 4, 2026. https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/ohio-residents-support-life-sentences-over-death-penalty.
- Death Penalty Information Center. “Ohio Residents Support Life Sentences Over Death Penalty.” Death Penalty Information Center, 14 Mar. 2025, https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/ohio-residents-support-life-sentences-over-death-penalty. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.
