Rockland/Westchester Journal News It appears that anyone with general concerns related to COVID-19 will be allowed to request an absentee ballot from their school district for next month's voting on budget proposals and school board races. Both the Assembly and state Senate passed legislation last week that should make absentee ballots easy to obtain. Normally, voters need to give a specific reason for requesting a ballot, such as being out of town or having an illness or disability. Gov. Andrew Cuomo had not signed the bill as of Friday. But he has indicated his clear support, said Jay Worona, deputy executive director and general counsel for the New York State School Boards Association.