▁called ▁poll - watch er ▁or ▁ch allen ger ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ), ▁is ▁a ▁person ▁who ▁obser ves ▁any ▁process ▁which ▁requires ▁rig orous ▁o vers ight , ▁either ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁occurrence ▁of ▁cor ruption ▁or ▁genu ine ▁mistakes . ▁It ▁is ▁most ▁commonly ▁known ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁voting ▁in ▁an ▁election , ▁where ▁the ▁scr ut ine er ▁obser ves ▁the ▁counting ▁of ▁ball ot ▁papers , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁check ▁that ▁election ▁rules ▁are ▁followed . ▁There ▁are ▁other ▁uses ▁of ▁the ▁concept , ▁such ▁as ▁in ▁mot ors port , ▁when ▁a ▁scr ut ine er ▁is ▁responsible ▁for ▁ens uring ▁that ▁vehicles ▁meet ▁the ▁technical ▁reg ulations . ▁ ▁Polit ics ▁▁ ▁R ules ▁vary ▁concerning ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁scr ut ine ers ▁that ▁are ▁allowed ▁to ▁be ▁present ▁at ▁each ▁pol ling ▁station ▁from ▁a ▁political ▁party . ▁In ▁some ▁juris dict ions , ▁each ▁candidate ▁or ▁party ▁may ▁have ▁one ▁scr ut ine er ▁or ▁poll - watch er ▁per ▁constitu ency ▁or ▁prec inct ▁where ▁voting ▁or ▁counting ▁is ▁taking ▁place . ▁In ▁other ▁juris dict ions , ▁such ▁as ▁Australia ▁and ▁Canada , ▁each ▁party ▁is ▁permitted ▁to ▁appoint ▁one ▁or ▁two ▁scr ut ine ers ▁per ▁pol ling ▁bo oth . ▁They ▁are ▁often ▁required ▁to ▁ref rain ▁from ▁contact ▁with ▁vot ers , ▁we aring ▁or ▁displaying ▁political ▁s log ans , ▁or ▁otherwise ▁ex ert ing ▁influence ▁on ▁the ▁conduct ▁of ▁the ▁election ▁while ▁it ▁is ▁taking ▁place .