How is capital punishment currently carried out?

Answer 1

In the United States the number one way is through lethal injection. There have been many favored ways to conduct executions, in the U.S. hanging and electrocution were once favored methods, because we are constantly trying to find more humane, less painful ways to execute. Other method that are still used in some cases include firing squad, hanging, the gas chamber, electrocution, and of course lethal injection. For the methods not including lethal injection there are often very specific rules for when they can be used. Some states even allow the condemned to choose which method they would prefer. For more information deathpenaltyinfo.org has a chart that breaks it down by state. The wikipedia page Capital Punishment Debate has a lot of good information about capital punishment as well.