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WASHINGTON – From the Lincoln Memorial to the U.S. Capitol, more people than ever will be able to witness Barack Obama’s swearing-in from the National Mall.
The Presidential Inaugural Committee announced today it is opening the entire National Mall – about two miles long - to accommodate as many people as possible in anticipation of what are expected to be unprecedented crowds. Estimates range from 1 million to 4 million people.
Large television screens will be set up so people along the mall can watch and listen to the swearing-in ceremony.
In the past, a large section of the mall has been used as a staging area for participants in the inaugural parade. That staging area has been relocated.
Melanie Roussell, a spokeswoman for the Presidential Inaugural Committee, said all parties involved in the planning process for the Inauguration are working to make the swearing-in as open and accessible as possible.
Roussell said decisions on how early visitors will be able to access the mall have not been made yet.
No matter what, it will still be difficult to actually see Obama be sworn in on the Capitol steps. The vantage points closest to the Capitol require tickets. Those free tickets are available through members of the Senate and the House.
But congressional offices received between 200 and 400 tickets and have been inundated with requests for those tickets, which are handed out the week before the Inauguration.
Tickets are not needed for the inaugural parade, but visibility will be limited because of large crowds and tight security along Pennsylvania Avenue. Tickets to inaugural balls are purchased through organizations hosting them.
The interest in the Inauguration has led congressional officials to warn against ticket scams. Many Web sites are falsely advertising tickets to the parade and the swearing-in ceremony for thousands of dollars.
Contact Amy Dominello at 202-662-7671 or adominello@mediageneral.com
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