Members of the public can now sign up for the chance to hear President Barack Obama speak during the upcoming Democratic National Convention.
On Thursday, convention and Obama campaign organizers launched a website to let people sign up for one of the “community credentials” being offered for the Sept. 6 speech at Bank of America Stadium. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are set to accept the Democratic Party’s nomination during the event.
The website — barackobama.com/community-credentials — requires people to give their name, email address, phone number and zip code. It promises to send more details about the credentialing process to those who sign up. Anyone given a credential must pay for their own lodging and travel, according to the website.
Organizers did not say how many of the credentials would be available for members of the public. But they touted the process as a way to let people witness history, and another effort they’re using to make the convention more accessible.
“The 2012 Democratic National convention will define the election as a choice between two very different paths for our nation,” 2012 Democratic Convention Chair and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said in a news release. “The President will lay out his vision for an economy built to last: that if you work hard and act responsibly, you should be able to find and keep a good job with decent wages and good benefits, retire securely and leave your kids a little better off. And you can be there to hear it.”
Bank of America Stadium holds about 74,000 people. But officials have not said how many people will be admitted for the nomination speeches.
In a news release, organizers said anyone who received credentials to attend DNC events on Sept. 4 and 5 — the first two days of the convention — will be admitted to the speeches at the football stadium. In addition, Obama campaign officials announced last month that any non-delegate who volunteered at least three shifts over nine hours would be guaranteed entry for the Sept. 6 event.
