Legal Definitions - paired vote

A paired vote is when two members of a voting body agree to abstain from voting, canceling each other out. This is usually done when one member cannot attend the meeting and wants to ensure that their absence does not affect the outcome of the vote.

For example, if there are 10 members in a voting body and one member cannot attend the meeting, they may pair their vote with another member who will vote the opposite way. This way, the absent member's absence does not affect the outcome of the vote.