States without capital punishment were more likely to cast their ballots for the Democratic candidate in the 2016 presidential election.

Direct answer

Using both maps (one showing which states lack capital punishment and one showing the 2016 Electoral College results), the best explanation is:

  • States without capital punishment were more likely to vote for the Democrat in the 2016 election.

This reflects the broader pattern that states which have abolished the death penalty tend to align with more progressive positions and thus more often support Democratic presidential candidates.

In multiple-choice form, this corresponds to the option:
“States without capital punishment were more likely to cast their ballots for the Democrat in the 2016 election.”

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