Chicago Area Local News

CHICAGO (CBS) ― The city of Chicago is planning for an election night rally that could draw a million people to Grant Park. Security is a major concern for Obama, his family and all the people who will attend the event. CBS 2's Dana Kozlov reports that you now need a ticket to attend next week's gathering and even though the event is free, there's already no guarantee that you'll get one.

How To Get A Ticket To The Event

Mayor Daley predicted Tuesday that more than a million people would descend on Grant Park for Barack Obama's election night "celebration." The mayor said "everybody's talking about" the Obama event.

"It's gonna be surprising. There's gonna be a lot of people who will want to come down and celebrate…We hope it's a million or more. It would be wonderful."

"My husband and I, we thought about it. With the weather being the way it is, I'm not quite sure, but I would like to be there," said Obama supporter Lisa Dowdell.

The elements could prove to be a form of crowd control for this event - for which crowd projections already vary greatly. Officials say Hutchinson Field fits 60,000 to 70,000 people. Mayor Daley says a million could show up. Either way, security is a top priority, and even though details aren't being released, Daley assures people it will be top notch.

"We will have the best security not only for the candidate and his family, but the entire city as well," Mayor Daley said.

The Secret Service is working with Chicago to keep everyone safe and today, the Office of Emergency Management announced it has hired the city's former Homeland Security Director Neil Sullivan to oversee the event - something Sullivan did after the White Sox won the World Series in 2005.

Sullivan will be paid by the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications at a rate of $100-an-hour with a $60,000 cap.

On Tuesday, Daley called that money well-spent, even as the city is laying off 929 city employees, eliminating 1,346 vacancies raising parking and amusement taxes and hiking a number of fees to erase a $465 million shortfall.

Referring to OEMC, Daley said, "They lost two senior people just recently to other agencies. They saw fit, which I respect, to bring someone in immediately to fill that gap…That's smart, very smart. For an event like this, you need some of the experts that you want. You don't fool around with this."

Officials say some people attending Obama's rally will be screened through metal detectors and supporters will need a ticket to get into the secured area. They can sign up for that online. But there's already a wait list and Obama's spokesperson will not say how many tickets they are issuing. Still, many people CBS 2 spoke with say they're confident it will be a safe success.

"I think with the capacity of Obama's rallies and the large turnouts that he's been having in other states, I think that's the only place that really can hold it," said Chicago resident J.R. Crayton.

Last week, Daley put a $2 million price tag on the cost of city services tied to the Obama rally and said the cash-flush Obama campaign had agreed to cover every penny because of Chicago's financial crisis.

The mayor also portrayed the Grant Park rally as a logistical challenge that would force the city to close Grant Park up to eight hours in advance, block streets, secure the CTA and "realign gas mains."

He openly acknowledged that he would have preferred a more "controlled" venue like the United Center. The Obama campaign quickly pointed out that the United Center was booked on election night with a Celine Dion concert.

Apparently concerned about putting a damper on the election night party celebrating Illinois' favorite son, Daley chose Tuesday to accentuate the positive.

He portrayed the Obama rally as a family "festival" and a "highlight for America."

"This is gonna be a wonderful festival—an event, a festival. It's gonna be a celebration," Daley said.

For those with a ticket, gates next Tuesday will open at 8:30 p.m. There will be two entrances - one on Congress and one on Jackson. You'll also need to bring a photo ID.

CBS 2's Dana Kozlov and the STNG Wire contributed to this report.

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Editor's Picks

• Top 10 Smartest And Dumbest Dog Breeds
• World's Most Useless Facts
• Hollywood's Hottest New Starlets
• Who Is My Celebrity Parent?
• Short Subjects: Hollywood's Tiny Stars