"You don't have to be a delegate or a party insider to witness this historic moment firsthand," Leah Daughtry, CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee, announced Wednesday.
Obama will accept his party's presidential nomination Aug. 28 at Denver's Invesco Field, home of the Denver Broncos. Half the football stadium's 75,000 seats will go to Coloradans.
But more than 10,000 seats will go to other Rocky Mountain states, including Utah. Every state and territory will get its own allotment of credentials. It was unclear Wednesday exactly how many tickets would go to Utahns.
To get a free "community credential," Utahns can call 720-362-2500 or visit www.demconvention.com before Tuesday.
"You basically have six days to do this," said Federico Pena, a former Denver mayor and national co-chairman of Obama's campaign.
Convention staffers then will call and interview the registrants to ensure they have a place to stay in Denver (or nearby) and solid travel plans, though they don't intend to conduct background checks. Staffers will provide tickets only to people who are serious about attending. There is no limit per family.
"We want to make sure every seat is filled," Daughtry said.
The DNCC also wants to ensure people don't sell their tickets. Each person must call to activate their ticket before the event, giving staffers a chance to match the name in their database with the bar code on the ticket. If the information doesn't match, the ticket will be voided.
The historic convention, which will tap the first black presidential nominee from a major U.S. party, will take place the first three nights at Denver's 21,000-seat Pepsi Center before the crowning event - Obama's acceptance speech - at Invesco Field.
