Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CAST'ING-VOTE, or CAST'ING-VOICE, n.

The vote of a presiding officer, in an assembly or council, which decides a question, when the voters of the assembly or house are equally divided between the affirmative and negative. [United States.] – Coxe. When there was an equal vote, the Governor had the casting voice. – B. Trumbull.