Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are set to go head-to-head on Wednesday in the pair’s first US presidential debate before the November election.
The critical showdown comes as recent election polls show it is a tight race between the candidates.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: US presidential election candidates go head-to-head in first debate.
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The 90-minute debate, which kicks off at 11am AEST, may be their only chance to face off against each other before the big day, with no other debates scheduled before the November 5 election.
President Joe Biden’s disastrous performance against Trump in June proved just how much debates matter, after it triggered immense pressure within the Democratic Party that ultimately led to him pulling out of the race.
How will it work?
Anchors from US network ABC News, David Muir and Linsey Davis will moderate the debate.
Each candidate will be working hard to swing undecided voters, with the latest CNN Poll of Polls showing Harris averages 49 per cent support across recent polls, while Trump stands at 48 per cent.
Even a marginal boost for either candidate could make a significant difference in the campaign.
Polling this month from the New York Times/Siena College showed 60 per cent of undecided voters said they were moderates and 54 per cent said they were independents.
Of the undecided votes, 48 per cent wanted to hear more about Harris, compared with 18 per cent, who were interested in Trump.
When is the debate?
The second debate of the general election is scheduled to begin at the National Constitution Centre in Philadelphia at 9pm local time Tuesday.
That is 11am AEST.
How to watch the debate
7NEWS will be broadcasting the debate from 11am AEST. You can watch live and free on Seven and 7Plus.
You can also stream live on 7NEWS Australia’s social media channels, including TikTok and YouTube.
Rules for the debate
The rules are essentially the same as the ones in place for the June debate between Trump and Biden.
- It will run for 90 minutes, with two commercial breaks.
- There will be no live audience in the room.
- Candidates’ microphones will be muted when their opponent is on the clock.
- Only the moderators will be allowed to ask questions.
- Trump and Harris will have two minutes to answer each question and a two-minute rebuttal. They will also have an additional minute for a follow-up, clarification, or response.
- There will be no opening statements, but Trump and Harris will each get two minutes for closing statements.
- Candidates will stand behind podiums for the debate and are not allowed to use any props or pre-written notes. They will, however, be given a pen and paper to use during the debate.
US presidential debate live coverage
Checking the facts
David Muir and Linsey Davis will moderate the debate, but the ABC News anchors will not be committed to fact-checking every statement.
“I don’t think it’s a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ proposition,” ABC News political director Rick Klein told The New York Times this week.
“We’re not making a commitment to fact-check everything, or fact-check nothing, in either direction.
“We’re there to keep a conversation going, and to facilitate a good solid debate, and that entails a lot of things in terms of asking questions, moving the conversation along, making sure that it’s civilised.”
