Articles about King County

Census data shows Seattle-area population rose again last year after pandemic dip

After an outflow of residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, new population estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau show… Read More

Plan to build Major League Cricket facility in Seattle-area park clears another hurdle

If you build it, will they come? Cricket enthusiasts in the Seattle region, whose numbers are tied to the growing… Read More

Port of Seattle bans facial recognition tech by law enforcement; some private use remains permitted

The Port of Seattle Commission voted Tuesday to ban the use of biometric technology for surveillance and security purposes by government… Read More

Seattle’s King County becomes first U.S. county to ban government use of facial recognition software

In a unanimous vote, the King County Council approved a ban on law enforcement use of facial recognition technology, making… Read More

Seattle-area health officials call for ‘COVID-19 reboot’ as cases and hospitalizations rise

If you’re hankering for a Halloween scare, look no further than newly released stats on the spread of COVID-19. In… Read More

Spin bringing scooters to area south of Seattle to join county’s pilot program alongside Lime

Two years after it pulled its orange bike-share bicycles out of Seattle, Spin is returning with electric scooters, joining a… Read More

As work and school shift online indefinitely, study finds 20% of King County lacks reliable internet

At a time when internet access has never been more critical, 20% of households are underserved in King County, a… Read More

It’s true! King County says social distancing is slowing down the coronavirus outbreak

Citing fresh statistics, public health officials today confirmed that social distancing measures “appear to be making a difference in slowing… Read More

Election officials mark successful mobile voting pilot in Seattle area; security experts still skeptical

The first U.S. election to make mobile voting available to all eligible voters went off without a hitch — at… Read More

We voted with a smartphone in a Seattle-area election, and this is what we discovered

Mobile voting is fast, convenient, and vulnerable. Those were my takeaways testing out the mobile voting pilot available to all… Read More

Amazon and Microsoft back proposed business tax in breakthrough for fight against homelessness

The Seattle-area business community is throwing its weight behind a proposal to tax high-paying companies in the region to fund… Read More

Proposed tax seeks $121M a year from Amazon, Microsoft and other big Seattle-area companies to address homelessness

Washington state lawmakers are considering a new regional tax that would raise an estimated $121 million a year from some… Read More

Microsoft and Slalom help King County develop new app to make it easier to report noxious weeds

King County residents concerned about noxious weeds have a new gardening tool to turn to when it comes to eliminating… Read More

Counting votes: Inside look at how King County uses tech to tally ballots as voter turnout surges

RENTON, WASH. — Seattle-area voters are coming out in force for this year’s midterm elections. More than 300,000 early ballots… Read More

Private shuttles like Microsoft Connector can share public bus stops without disrupting service, researchers find

In crowded cities like Seattle, employers are coming up with creative ways to get employees out of single-occupancy vehicles when… Read More

Geek of the Week: County Exec Dow Constantine’s passion? Preserving place where he has deep roots

In a city where it’s easy to meet a newcomer at practically every turn — folks who are drawn to… Read More

Seattle region has a snappy new idea to get the selfie generation to the ballot box

King County Elections designed and purchased Snapchat filters for ballot boxes around the Seattle area, anticipating the existential question of… Read More

Amazon’s home region unveils 522-page bid for its second headquarters, citing ‘historic partnership’

The region where Amazon established its first headquarters just unveiled a pitch to host its second headquarters, as well. “Amazon… Read More

Seattle region unveils pitch to keep Amazon HQ2 close to home — and it doesn’t include any locations in Seattle

Executives from King and Snohomish County revealed details of their plan to convince Amazon to locate its second North American… Read More

Rock the boat: Soundgarden members attend launch of new research vessel SoundGuardian

Members of the Seattle band Soundgarden stepped aboard a new research vessel to help christen it on Wednesday months after… Read More

King County launches app that alerts bystanders when someone needs CPR

For most people, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is fatal. When the condition hits, each minute that passes without CPR reduces the chance… Read More

King County voting district website overwhelmed on Democratic Party Caucus day in Washington

The Washington State Democratic Party is holding their caucuses this morning in Washington, requiring voters to identify their caucus location… Read More

King County proposes ride-sharing legislation: No caps with emphasis on safety

While the City of Seattle figures out how to regulate app-based transportation companies like UberX, Lyft and Sidecar, King County… Read More

Here’s how Seattle’s King County uses online public meetings to learn what citizens actually care about

Government officials often hold public meetings as a way to hear from citizens and find out what’s going on in… Read More

Seattle redesigns public transit map with focus on frequency

Speaking last month at an Ignite Seattle talk, mayor Mike McGinn stressed that the city needed to find ways to… Read More