A quick note on reconsideration

for Worcester watchers--as our vote from two weeks ago striking the requirement to take the AP test to get AP-level credit in the GPA is back on Thursday's agenda--but also in general; as I've said before, it was Mr. O'Connell who taught me to know the rules: 

A motion to "reconsider" a vote is just what it says: it asks the public body if they want to consider again what they have already voted.

• A "yes" vote to reconsideration means "yes, let's vote that again."
• A "no" vote to reconsideration means "no, let's stay with the vote we already cast."

If the "yes" votes succeed, the item is taken up again, and the members of the body then vote whatever the item was.
If the "no" votes succeed, the item goes forward as originally voted.

In most committees, only those who cast a "yes" vote can make a motion to reconsider and it must be done within the same meeting.
In Worcester, any member can file for reconsideration of a vote within 48 business hours of a meeting. They are to give the reason for doing so. It then appears as the first item on the following agenda.
As a result, no vote in Worcester is official until 48 business hours after the meeting.
In Worcester, this is sometimes staved off--and votes go through right away--by voting reconsideration at the same meeting, as an item can only be reconsidered once.

Thus if you are watching the AP item for Worcester for Thursday:

• if your hope is that the requirement for testing is waived for this year, you're looking for a "no" vote on reconsideration (and that's it; the vote from two weeks ago is the vote).
• if your hope is that the requirement of testing is reinstated for this year, you're looking for a "yes" vote on reconsideration followed by a "no" vote on the actual motion. 

Got it?