VOTE! Special Election is Tuesday, April 22

King County voters will decide whether to renew funding for the Regional Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) in a special election on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

Proposition No. 1, placed on the ballot by the King County Council through Ordinance No. 19884, would authorize a seven-year property tax levy beginning in 2026 to support continued operation and technological upgrades to the countywide forensic fingerprint and palmprint identification system.

The measure proposes a tax rate of $0.0275 per $1,000 of assessed property value. For a home valued at $885,000, the maximum annual cost would be about $24.34 in the first year.

The levy would replace a previous voter-approved measure that expired at the end of 2024.

The AFIS program is used by law enforcement agencies throughout King County to aid criminal investigations through advanced fingerprint matching and forensic identification services.

The system also supports crime scene processing, suspect identification, and evidence analysis.

If approved, the new levy would include statutory limits on annual increases and would provide exemptions for qualified seniors, disabled persons, and veterans, as allowed under state law.

The proposition would also continue the oversight role of the AFIS Advisory Committee.

Ballots must be returned or postmarked or placed in a ballot box by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

There are two ballot boxes (both will close at 8 p.m. on April 22) in Burien:

• Burien Town Square Park: 480 SW 152nd Street (corner of 5th Ave SW & SW 152nd Street) Burien, WA 98166
• Boulevard Park Library: 12015 Roseberg Avenue South Seattle, WA 98168

More information is available at kingcounty.gov/elections.