Bengaluru | January 2, 2026

A recent study conducted by a Karnataka government agency has found that the majority of voters in the state trust Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and believe that elections in India are conducted freely and fairly. The findings were published in a report titled “Lok Sabha Elections 2024 – Evaluation of Endline Survey of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of Citizens” by the Karnataka Monitoring and Evaluation Authority (KMEA).

The report, dated August 2025 and recently made public, assessed the impact of the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme implemented by the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka. KMEA functions under the Planning, Programme Monitoring and Statistics Department and is the state’s apex body for evidence-based policymaking.

Survey Coverage and Methodology

The survey covered 5,100 respondents across 102 assembly constituencies, spanning all 34 election districts of Karnataka. Respondents were drawn from rural, urban, and reserved constituencies across the state’s four administrative divisions: Bengaluru, Belagavi, Kalaburagi, and Mysuru.

The survey is particularly significant amid the Congress party’s campaign against ‘vote chori’ (vote theft), led by Rahul Gandhi, which targets the BJP-led central government and the Election Commission of India. The findings also come as the Karnataka government has proposed holding all future panchayat and urban local body elections using ballot papers, citing alleged public erosion of confidence in EVMs.

Key Findings: Confidence in Elections

The study found that a large majority of respondents (91.31%) across divisions believe elections in India are conducted freely and fairly, with an additional 6.76% expressing neutral views.

• Kalaburagi division showed the strongest confidence, with 84.67% agreeing and 10.19% strongly agreeing.
• Belagavi division recorded 69.62% agreeing and 19.24% strongly agreeing.
• Mysuru division reported 72.08% agreeing and 15.08% strongly agreeing.
• The Bengaluru division had the lowest level of strong agreement at 7.17%, though 67.11% still agreed. Neutral opinions were also highest in Bengaluru at 12.50%, and disagreement was marginally higher at 9.67%, with 3.56% strongly disagreeing.

Trust in EVMs

A large majority of respondents also expressed confidence in EVMs delivering accurate results, with 69.39% agreeingand 14.22% strongly agreeing overall.

• Kalaburagi division recorded the highest trust, with 83.24% agreeing and 11.24% strongly agreeing.
• Mysuru division reported 70.67% agreeing and 17.92% strongly agreeing.
• Belagavi division showed 63.90% agreeing and 21.43% strongly agreeing.
• Bengaluru division again reported the lowest strong agreement at 9.28%, although 63.67% still agreed, with neutral opinions highest at 15.67%. Overall disagreement was 8.75%, slightly higher in Belagavi and Bengaluru than in Kalaburagi and Mysuru.

Women and Voting Decisions

The study, which surveyed about 50% women, also explored perceptions on whether women should consult male family members or elders before voting.

• 34.57% agreed, and 3.14% strongly agreed.
• A larger proportion, 37.86% disagreed, and 13.78% strongly disagreed, indicating majority support for independent voting by women.

Influence of Money in Elections

Concerns about money influencing elections were evident. 44.90% of respondents agreed, and 4.65% strongly agreed, that monetary influence is increasing.

Regarding inducements to influence voting, 16.33% of respondents reported experiencing such attempts. Among 833 respondents who reported inducements, the most common was government scheme benefits (42.26%), followed by job promises (34.09%).

Significance

The KMEA report underscores that despite political debates and controversies, the general public in Karnataka retains confidence in the electoral process and EVMs. It also highlights ongoing challenges related to money and inducements in elections and regional differences in perceptions of electoral integrity, particularly in urban areas like Bengaluru.

Overall, the findings provide evidence-based insight for policymakers, political parties, and election authorities, emphasizing the importance of voter education, transparency, and public trust in maintaining a robust democratic process.