Democrats lop a day off convention

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 17 (UPI) -- The Democratic National Convention, to be held in Charlotte, N.C., has been cut from four days to three, organizers said Tuesday.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla. -- head of the Democratic National Committee -- also announced the final night of the convention will be held in the Bank of America Stadium, and open to the public. She said thousands more people will be able to hear President Barack Obama's acceptance of the nomination for a second term.

Labor Day has been eliminated from the convention schedule. Democrats instead will hold an event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway "to celebrate the Carolinas, Virginia and the South."

The convention is to be at the Time Warner Cable Arena, except for Obama's speech.

Wasserman Schultz billed the changes as opening up the convention.

"We wanted to find a way to truly make this convention different than any other in history," she said. "We want this convention to be about more than just the pageantry and speeches you see on television. This is about engaging Americans in a meaningful way."