WASHINGTON--President Barack Obama's election night event in Chicago will be at McCormick Place, I've been told. The rally will be indoors and will not be designed to try to recreate the massive Grant Park gathering that marked Obama's 2008 election. I reported Oct. 3 Obama will be in Chicago election night. On Wednesday, the location was confirmed.

In 2008, Obama and wife Michelle voted at their South Side polling place--the Beulah Shoesmith Elementary School. Obama then flew to Indianapolis to work a phone bank, played basketball with pals, stopped home and then headed to the Hyatt on Wacker to watch the returns before hitting Grant Park.

In 2012, Obama will have voted already on election day--he is returning to Chicago on Oct. 25 to cast an early ballot. It's a good bet he then will do election day get-out-the vote work in a battleground state.

The massive lakefront McCormick Place complex hosted the Chicago NATO summit in May. It is a central location, near public transportation with plenty of parking and close to downtown hotels.