Obama election night to be at Chicago convention center

No Grant Park lollapalooza for President Obama this election year.

The Obama campaign is saying it will hold an election night rally at Chicago's McCormick Place convention center on the city's South Side, guaranteeing a much smaller crowd this time around.

An estimated 240,000 people jammed Grant Park on Nov. 4, 2008, to watch Obama claim the presidency.

This year, officials are citing weather and security concerns in going with the smaller venue at McCormick Center.

Obama backers were able to celebrate early four years ago -- the final election call came shortly after 11 p.m. ET -- 10 p.m. in Chicago.

The way things look now, it will be a long election night -- and early morning -- for everybody.

Our old pal Rick Pearson of the Chicago Tribune writes about the 2012 plan:

"McCormick Place was the site of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in May, an event designated as a 'national special security event' by the federal Department of Homeland Security.

"Obama's election-night rally is expected to receive the same designation.

"The Obama campaign had no official word on rally plans. One source with knowledge of the event said an indoor event made security and logistics easier, avoiding the need to rent a lot of equipment and to prepare for the possibility of rain.

"At the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte last month, the president's nomination acceptance speech was moved from the outdoor Bank of America Stadium to the convention's indoor home, Time Warner Cable Arena. That move was attributed to concern over storms. ...

"Still to be announced is how ticketing will work.

"In 2008, free tickets were offered online, and they quickly ran out."