Inauguration

[Gil3]

Originally Posted by juniperbleu

So I know it's only the day after the election, but do any of you know what the deal is with Inauguration (primarily the inaugural ceremony)? I live a 5-minute walk from the Capitol and feel it's just an awesome opportunity to go. I read that I need to contact my representative/senator for a ticket, but are there any options if that doesn't work out? Where do the barriers end? Outside of the Senate website, all I can find are (what appear to be) a bunch of ticket resale sites with unpredictable prices.

Thank you!

Yes, Juniper..I called my State rep and they put my SO and I on a list. Naturally, there will be more names than tickets available, but at least we got on and it's worth a try. They indicated that if I am able to score tickets, they will notify us around the end of December.

I also researched the resale sites and the prices are ridiculous! Either way, I plan to be in DC that weekend and into Monday whether we are able to attend the actual swearing in or not . I have no doubt that this will be the biggest inaugural event ever and it's going to be exciting to be there.

[juniperbleu]

Originally Posted by Gil3

I also researched the resale sites and the prices are ridiculous! Either way, I plan to be in DC that weekend and into Monday whether we are able to attend the actual swearing in or not . I have no doubt that this will be the biggest inaugural event ever and it's going to be exciting to be there.

Thanks, I'm still going to give it a shot. I figure there's nothing to lose (if I get too cold, I'll just go back home). I just found out that my coworker might know one of the DC delegates so I'm badgering him to help me. Would you suggest calling vs. email?

[jest721]

I sent numerous e-mail requests to both Senators from my state and to all of the newly elected House members, even the ones representing other districts. One of my Senator's aides (a Republican) called and said they don't know how many tickets they would receive, but she was confident I could get a pair, and she put me on their very short list.
I will continue to contact the others, especially the Republicans, since there will probably be less demand for tickets from them than from the Democrats.
Good luck.

[mettler]

I did the same thing as above. I called as well, and worked my alumni status to each of the people I spoke with. Many of my states Reps and Senators went to the same University as me. I also spoke with my Alumni club here in DC to see if they had any insights and my state's Society Club here in DC.

[Gil3]

Originally Posted by juniperbleu

Thanks, I'm still going to give it a shot. I figure there's nothing to lose (if I get too cold, I'll just go back home). I just found out that my coworker might know one of the DC delegates so I'm badgering him to help me. Would you suggest calling vs. email?

I highly recommend calling as, I got someone on the phone right away and they put me on the list. She was very helpful, while on the same token, I went in with the understanding that it was indeed a roll of the dice. Like you said, it's worth at least a shot.

Additionally, I'm sure representatives offices are getting an even higher volume of e-mails than ever before since the election, and the response time more than likely won't be as quick Vs. telephone. Plus, there is also the chance of it getting lost or deleted by mistake, even though it's not intentional. If you do want to send an e-mail in addition to the call, I don't see why not, but I wouldn't depend on e-mail as the sole source of inquiry.

I will also add that if you do have some political connections, it may not hurt to go that route as well. Knowing the right people definitely helps in some instances.

Good luck

Gil

[PenguinSix]

A few other tidbits:

* The farther away the Congressman (i.e. California, Alaska, etc) the more likely they are to have tickets.

* Republicans will have less demand for tickets than Democrats, and basically they really don't care who gets them from their district (i.e. they have no political favors they need to pay off to Democrats coming out from the district).

* Consider your aunts, uncles, friends, etc that live in other states. See if they can get tickets for you.

note: Some offices require you to pick up the tickets in person in their office (this way if you don't show, they can give them to someone else). It would be worth calling the DAY OF the inauguration and check for any last minute cancellations. They happen.