Laura Young Connelly and Bryan Connelly have traveled to New Hampshire with their two daughters to knock on doors in support of their candidate. They hosted a house party and took election day off to pass out door hangers.

This week, the Cape Elizabeth family was preparing for a trip to Washington, D.C., to watch as President-elect Barack Obama is sworn in to office.

“As a family we have been caught up in the election for at least two years, so it is a great end to the process,” said Laura Young Connelly, whose daugthers Katie, 10, and Megan, 7, are the same ages as Obama’s daughters, Sasha and Malia.

The Connellys will be among many people traveling from Maine to see the inauguration. In addition to the 240,000 ticketed guests, a million or more people are expected to view the inauguration from the National Mall between 4th Street and the Lincoln Memorial, along with hundreds of thousands of others who plan on watching the inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, according to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. Some officials have estimated that at least 1.5 million and possibly more than 3 million people will attend the inauguration on Jan. 20.

Some local legislators will also be headed to Washington, D.C., to watch the inauguration.

Even though he was a delegate for Hillary Clinton, Rep. Mark Bryant (D-Windham) is planning to attend the inauguration. Bryant said he’s excited about Obama’s election.

“I’m just excited to be part of the movement,” Bryant said. “(And) to see the finality that it’s actually going to happen.

Bryant will be staying with friends in the Washington, D.C., area. He doesn’t think he could afford a hotel room. Though he admits the city will likely be congested, he said the excitement will overpower possible frustration.

For Rep. Sean Flaherty (D-Scarborough), the election of Obama is a landmark event during a landmark year for himself personally. Flaherty decided to run for office for the first time at age 23 after giving the nominating speech for Obama to the Scarborough caucus.

Flaherty, who went to college in Washington, D.C., attended the 2004 inauguration, which he said was an incredible experience.

“The whole day was just kind of surreal,” Flaherty said. “The whole city just shuts down. It’s almost indescribable.”

This time around, Flaherty said he expects many more people to attend the event, but fewer people to be protesting. This inauguration will feel different for Flaherty as well. As a legislator, he said he’s come to a realization that this is an opportunity for him to do good things.

“This is a unique opportunity in the country and especially in the state of Maine,” Flaherty said. “There is a connection between state representatives all the way up to the top.”