Managing Scrutineers and Poll Observers

The Role of Scrutineers

Scrutineers (also called poll watchers or agents) are your eyes and ears at polling stations. They serve two critical functions:

1. GOTV tracking: Recording which supporters have voted
2. Process integrity: Ensuring the voting process follows the rules

Legal Rights of Scrutineers

• In Canada, scrutineers have specific legal rights:
• Be present at the polling station during voting hours
• Observe the voting process (from a respectful distance)
• Object to a voter if they have reasonable grounds
• Be present during the ballot count
• Request a recount if results are very close

• Scrutineers must NOT:
• Attempt to influence voters
• Interfere with the voting process
• Use electronic devices to photograph ballots
• Campaign within the polling station

Training Your Scrutineers

1. Before election day, every scrutineer should:
2. Read the scrutineer guide from their election authority
3. Understand the layout of a polling station
4. Know how to mark the bingo card (or use the digital tracker)
5. Practice reporting to HQ
6. Understand escalation procedures for issues

Shift Scheduling

• Plan for three shifts per polling station:
• Shift 1: Polls open to 1:00 PM
• Shift 2: 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
• Shift 3: 5:00 PM to poll close + count

Use RidingDesk's volunteer shift management to assign scrutineers to polling stations and track coverage.

Real-Time Reporting

• Scrutineers should report to HQ every 30 minutes with:
• Number of voters who have voted since last report
• Names of identified supporters who have voted
• Any issues or irregularities