Obama-speech ticketholders to be notified Thursday

[AZXD]

They say the free tickets are costing the volunteers a little time, yet ... "Those who didn't agree to volunteer are not being penalized" ... They just get the cheap seats if they don't fulfill their voluntary service

I guess the mandatory volunteerism has begun.

Obama-speech ticketholders to be notified Thursday

By Jeremy P. Meyer
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 08/13/2008 05:35:25 PM MDT

Coloradans will begin to be notified Thursday whether they won seats for the Democratic National Convention's big night at Invesco Field at Mile High, campaign officials said today.

Campaign workers will notify people via phone, text message or e-mail starting tomorrow in an effort that will continue throughout the day.
All notification will be complete by 9 p.m. Friday.

About 30,000 tickets for Colorado residents are available for the event in which Sen. Barack Obama accepts the Democratic presidential nomination.

Those who have not received credentials but have requested them will be notified that they are on a waiting list. Names will be chosen on a first-come, first-served basis, unless they agreed to volunteer for the campaign.

Those who opted to volunteer when they applied for tickets online and have completed their service will be given special "all-star volunteer" seats closer to the stage, said Matt Chandler, spokesman for Obama's campaign.

There are enough all-star seats to accommodate those who have completed their volunteer work.

Community members may pick up their credentials this weekend at the Colorado Campaign for Change office closest to them or at additional staging locations around the state.

Everyone picking up a credential is required to bring photo identification. Community members will receive specific instructions on security and access procedures at Invesco when they pick up their credential this weekend.

Obama is expected to speak to 75,000 people at the downtown Denver stadium on Aug. 28, the final night of the convention.

Campaign officials say more than half of the stadium will be occupied by Colorado residents. More than 80,000 people in Colorado applied for tickets online.

Over the past few days, the campaign has been contacting those who have agreed to volunteer.

"We were asking people who opted in to volunteer a few hours," Chandler said. "They need to volunteer and complete their shifts."

More than 2,000 people volunteered throughout the weekend, knocking on doors or making phone calls, Chandler said.

"People are really enthused, and the response has been fantastic," he said.

Those who didn't agree to volunteer are not being penalized, Chandler said.

"There is no obligation for the regular community credentials, which the vast majority signed up for," he said. "There is no obligation tied to it, and there is nothing that you need to do. If they indicated that they didn't want to volunteer, that does not affect their status. They are still in line, first come, first served."