BENGALURU: A major survey by Karnataka's Chief Electoral Officer shows that 83.61% of voters trust Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) following the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. Additionally, 91.31% believe that elections in India are conducted free and fairly. The survey covered 5,100 respondents across 34 districts in Bengaluru, Belagavi, Kalaburagi, and Mysuru. The highest EVM trust was in Kalaburagi at 83.24%, where Congress won all seats. Mysuru division recorded 70.67%, while Belagavi and Bengaluru stood at 63.90% and 63.67% respectively. The study titled “Lok Sabha Elections 2024 — Evaluation of Endline Survey of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of Citizens” also found that 95.75% of people voted, showing strong democratic engagement. Awareness of voter lists was high at 85.31%, but knowledge about online registration and other electoral services was low. Nearly all respondents (99.02%) possessed Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPICs), with Mysuru leading awareness at 96.08%. However, Bengaluru had the lowest EPIC awareness at 81.89%. Most voters said their choice depended on candidate merit, party reputation, and integrity. Long queues affected 51.21% of voters. Booth-level officer visits were the main voter enrollment method (47.21%). Digital platform use was low, with just 18.37% using election websites or apps. The survey sparked political debate. Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra claimed it exposed Congress's ‘vote chori’ campaign and called it a blow to Rahul Gandhi. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the survey was administrative and cannot dismiss serious electoral concerns raised by Rahul Gandhi. Congress leader B.K. Hariprasad criticized the survey’s credibility, saying it was conducted by government-linked bodies, not independent agencies. He argued that Election Commission credibility is low and stressed the need for transparency and impartiality.