Updated: Hughes Turned Away From Registrar's Office

Noon Wednesday update — Alicia Hughes' complete statement is attached to this story as a PDF file. To read it, click on the file on the right. 

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11:45 p.m. update — Alicia Hughes sent a statement to Patch late Tuesday evening saying that she has consulted with the State Board of Elections and, in light of a cancer diagnosis her father recently received that requires “substantial time and attention as a daughter,” intends to preserve “the option to campaign district rather than citywide.” She hopes to qualify to run for School Board in District C and continue .

“I have been in touch with the State Board of Elections and understand it legal to qualify for two positions but only appear on the November ballot for one,” Hughes wrote. “Hence, depending on what we learn [about her father's cancer], I will decide on which race to remain running.”

Hughes said she will finalize her decision on which office to run for when more medical information is available about her father's cancer. She said that will likely be available in early September.

Hughes said she put forth “concerted effort to meet the requirements to file for School Board in District C.” She said she has sought advice of counsel and will make a determination “in the very near future” on whether to protest Voter Registrar Tom Parkins’ decision not to allow her to submit her School Board candidacy filing. 

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Alexandria City Councilwoman Alicia Hughes was turned away from the city’s Voter Registration and Elections Office just after the 7 p.m. Tuesday deadline for citizens to file for candidacy for School Board.

Reports of Hughes collecting signatures to run for School Board sprouted up on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon.

Old Town Alexandria Patch Editor Sharon McLoone witnessed Hughes knock on the locked door of the registrar’s office. She was not allowed to file any paperwork by Voter Registrar Tom Parkins, who said the time was 7:01 p.m.

Hughes held her phone up and said, “Mine says 7 p.m.”

Parkins responded: “Even 7 p.m. is too late.”

Hughes then left the scene, got into her car and drove off. It was not known what Hughes was trying to do at the registrar's office.

Messages left with Hughes were not returned Tuesday evening.

Hughes is currently a Republican nominee for City Council in the November election. Members of the Alexandria Republican City Committee handed out pamphlets profiling Hughes and fellow GOP nominees Frank Fannon and Bob Wood at polling places across the city on Tuesday to preview the Nov. 6 election.

A citizen in Alexandria cannot run for both City Council and School Board on the same ballot, according to Parkins.