Obama to Host Virtual Ball

The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) announced today that President-elect Barack Obama will host the first-ever Neighborhood Inaugural Ball. Another first: he'll be broadcasting the event to millions over the Web.

This is the latest in a slew of efforts aimed at making Obama's inauguration the most accessible in history.

The event will be held on inauguration night at the Washington Convention Center. A portion of tickets will be set aside for DC residents (hooray!), while the rest will be available to the public for free or "at an affordable price."

In addition to the Webcast, Obama will leverage text messaging—though we're not sure in what capacity—"to link neighborhoods across the country with the new President," according to a statement released earlier today. We wouldn't be surprised if Obama dusted off his Twitter account for the occasion, either.

Information on how to get tickets to the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball will be released by the PIC at a later date. We'll keep you posted as details are made available.

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