Aide: Obama speech to energize volunteers

DENVER, July 24 (UPI) -- A top campaign staffer for Barack Obama says tickets to his acceptance speech in Denver will go to activists who will then be energized for further work.

Obama is scheduled to accept the Democratic presidential nomination in the stadium normally used by the Denver Broncos. Most Democratic Convention events will be at the Pepsi Center.

"We're going to ask those 80,000 people in that stadium to march out of there and go with very specific instructions and goals to register millions of new voters," Steve Hildebrand, Obama's deputy campaign manager, told The Denver Post in an interview Wednesday.

Hildebrand said that tickets will be distributed through local Democratic Party committees. Those applying for them will have to show that they are serious about traveling to Denver and will be encouraged to volunteer for the campaign, using the process as a recruiting tool.

The convention is scheduled Aug. 25-28, with Obama's speech on the final night.

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