Oliver Barker-Vormawor Advocates for Transparent, Accessible Vote Collation Process

Lawyer and activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor is calling for a more transparent and accessible approach to the vote collation process, particularly in light of growing concerns about security and public trust during elections.

In a recent interview on JoyNews, Barker-Vormawor highlighted the increasing presence of police at collation centers, expressing concerns about the militarization of election procedures. While acknowledging the importance of security, he emphasized that overwhelming police presence should not be the sole solution.

“We’ve seen so much police presence deployed at collation centers, and if we anticipate that people are going to be there, the solution shouldn’t just be to securitize the process with overwhelming police numbers,” Barker-Vormawor said. His comments reflect rising anxiety about the transparency of the vote-counting process.

Instead, Barker-Vormawor suggested that the focus should shift toward ensuring transparency to foster public confidence. “Why not set up giant screens for people to watch what is happening in the collation process? Why not televise the process and invite the public into it to demystify what is happening?” he proposed.

This approach, he argues, would provide greater visibility into the process, allowing citizens to observe in real-time and thus reducing any doubts of tampering or manipulation.

Barker-Vormawor’s remarks come amid ongoing debates about how to maintain the integrity of Ghana’s electoral system and ensure greater trust in the democratic process.