On 8 November 2016 in four ballot measures in three states – California, Nebraska and Oklahoma – questions relating to the death penalty were put to the electorate. On all four questions, the majority vote went in favour of the death penalty. Although these outcomes are regrettable – and illustrate the need for strong principled human rights leadership against a punishment that tends to generate a measure of public support even in the face of compelling evidence of arbitrariness, discrimination and error in its application – the longer term trend in the USA is one of progress towards abolition.
