casting vote

American  

noun

1. the deciding vote of the presiding officer of a deliberative body, made when the other votes are equally divided.

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casting vote British  

noun

1. the deciding vote used by the presiding officer of an assembly when votes cast on both sides are equal in number

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Etymology

Origin of casting vote

First recorded in 1685–95

Example Sentences

Price has been charged with embezzlement, perjury and having a conflict of interest, by casting votes on real estate projects whose developers had hired his wife.

From Los Angeles Times

Much of the weeklong proceeding centered around whether Price knew of potential conflicts of interest before casting votes, or intended to hide his financial stakes in them from the public.

From Los Angeles Times

Analysts therefore expect another tight 5-4 vote on this decision, with Governor Andrew Bailey having the casting vote.

From The Wall Street Journal

That person, a Canadian citizen and legal resident, pleaded guilty in 2024 to three misdemeanor counts of casting votes in the primary and general 2016 elections.

From Los Angeles Times

That reached record levels in the 2022 federal election, with one in three Australians casting votes for candidates outside the two major parties.

From BBC