Inauguration tickets in high demand

WASHINGTON - You may be hard-pressed to get a ticket to the presidential inauguration in January if you have not made your request.

Congressman Nathan Deal of Gainesville said his office is being overwhelmed with requests - which is not always the case. Deal said there is usually a bigger demand in an election cycle such as this one, when there is a new president being inaugurated or a change of the party that controls the White House.

Deal said he's been alloted 198 tickets and by midday Monday already had more than 1,100 requests. He said they will be allocated on a "first come, first serve" basis. Deal is still taking requests, however, because he said there are always people who do not use the tickets allocated to them.

The tickets are free and only available through Congressional and U.S. Senate offices. The committee planning the inauguration is warning the public not to be duped by ticket brokers or Web sites offering tickets.

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On the Net:

Cong. Nathan Deal. http://www.house.gov/deal/

Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. http://inaugural.senate.gov