Three-fourths of Americans agree the military should repeal “don't ask, don't tell,” the policy that forbids gay troops from serving openly.

According to a Washington Post/ABC News poll released Thursday, a record 75% of respondents support open gay service. A near universal majority (83%) believe closeted gay troops should be allowed to serve in the military.

Similar results come from an unlikely source: Fox News.

In a survey of 900 registered voters conducted by the conservative network, Fox News found a two-to-one margin in favor of open gay service. Sixty-one percent of respondents agree that the military should abandon “don't ask, don't tell,” while thirty percent disagree.

Both polls found that younger respondents were more likely to favor repeal.

The policy has come under heavy scrutiny since President Obama called for an end to the law during his first State of the Union address. Last week, the Pentagon's top brass – Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates – told a key Senate panel considering the issue that the military should end the policy.

A third poll conducted by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute released Wednesday also found a majority of respondents favor repeal, but by a smaller margin (57%).

“By a solid margin, American voters say go ahead and allow gays to openly serve in the military,” Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinipiac University Polling Institute, said in a statement.

The Quinnipiac University poll found near universal support (82%) for the military ending disciplinary action against gay men and lesbians outed against their will.

Secretary Gates has already ordered a 45-day study on how to do just that. Gates said the Pentagon would consider implementing a “fairer” version of the law.

The survey also found a majority of respondents (65%) do not believe repeal will hurt the military's ability to fight effectively on the battlefield. However, by a margin of 54%-38%, voters say gay troops should face restrictions on exhibiting their sexual orientation.