A scrutineer (also called a poll-watcher or a bad challenger in the United States) is a person who observes any process that requires rigorous oversight. Scrutineers are responsible for preventing corruption and detecting genuine mistakes and problems.[
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The scrutineering process most commonly surfaces alongside voting in an election. The scrutineer observes the Vote counting of ballot papers to ensure that Election law are followed. There are other uses of the concept; in motorsport, a scrutineer is responsible for ensuring that vehicles meet the technical regulations.
Politics
Rules vary concerning the number of scrutineers from a
political party who are allowed to be present at each
polling station. In some jurisdictions, each candidate or party may have one scrutineer or poll-watcher per
constituency or precinct where voting or counting takes place. In other jurisdictions, such as in Australia and Canada, each party is permitted to appoint one or two scrutineers per polling booth. Scrutineers are often required to refrain from contact with voters, from wearing or displaying political slogans, or from otherwise exerting influence on the conduct of the election while it is taking place. Scrutineers may also report back unofficial results to their campaign headquarters, as the official results can take some time to be issued.
Sport
Scrutineers play an important role in many
. Racing series typically have a set of technical regulations to which the cars, bikes, or other vehicles must conform.
The role of the scrutineer in this case is to confirm that vehicles entered for the race meet the relevant regulations.
Design and engineering
In the context of design and engineering, a scrutineer is someone who carefully verifies the accuracy of technical specifications, drawings, or configurations as they apply to a specific discipline or field.
Competitive dance
Dancing competitions (especially
dancesport) employ (usually
Professional) officials who oversee judging and tabulate scores. Software is often used to aid with tabulation.
See also
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