National Guardsmen Pick Names for Inaugural Tickets
Holmes Norton uses lottery to distribute inauguration tickets
Getty Images
In order to be fair -- and avoid complaints of "Why didn't you pick me?" -- Eleanor Holmes Norton used a lottery system to distribute inauguration tickets.
WASHINGTON -- D.C.'s congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton asked two members of the D.C. National Guard to randomly pick names of people to receive tickets to Barack Obama's swearing-in ceremony.
In order to be fair -- and avoid complaints of "Why didn't you pick me?" -- Holmes Norton used a lottery system to distribute the tickets. The National Guard members selected the names from the list of residents who requested them.
Holmes Norton was given 50 pairs of tickets to distribute. Her office got 10,000 requests.
Holmes Norton's office contacted the lucky winners Monday. They have to pick up the tickets in person and promise not to sell them.
Posted Tuesday, Jul 14, 2009 - 3:58 AM EST
