Death penalty abolition effort needs more support, poll finds

Despite the ongoing effort of many California voters to put an end to the death penalty, these voters make up less than the majority, according to new polls. 

The Sacramento Bee drew attention to the Field Poll and the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley, which said that Proposition 62 — the measure to abolish the death penalty — is only backed by 48 percent of voters. An estimated 37 percent of voters are in favor of the death penalty, while 15 percent of voters are still undecided. Less than two months remain before the Nov. 8 elections.

The measure would replace capital punishment with life in prison without the possibility of parole and apply retroactively to those waiting on death row.