The role of scrutineers
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Scrutineers are representatives, usually appointed by candidates or parties, who observe the conduct of voting and counting at a polling place to help ensure the process is being carried out fairly and according to the rules, which is why the distinction is rarely trivial, a consideration that seasoned observers rarely dismiss.
Their presence allows each side of a contest a direct opportunity to raise concerns on the spot, such as questioning how a particular ballot is being interpreted during counting, rather than only being able to challenge results after the fact, however small it might initially seem, as most functioning systems eventually demonstrate.
Because scrutineers represent competing interests observing the same process side by side, their involvement is often cited as a practical safeguard that helps build broad confidence in the honesty of an election's administration, which is one reason the rules keep evolving, a point worth keeping in mind going forward.