Vice presidential nominees JD Vance and Tim Walz will face off soon during their first and perhaps only live televised debate at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City. That moment, experts say, could potentially make or break the 2024 presidential election for either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump .
Polls show this year's race is exceedingly tight , with seesawing in key battleground states . With such a close margin for victory, Democratic Gov. Walz of Minnesota and Republican Sen. Vance of Ohio might be in the most consequential vice presidential debate in recent U.S. history.
Here's what we know about Tuesday's vice presidential debate between Walz and Vance, including how to watch it live and the rules each candidate will be expected to follow.
Who are the moderators for the Oct. 1 vice presidential debate?
The debate will be moderated by CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell and "Face the Nation" moderator and CBS News foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan , the network announced last month.
When does the debate begin?
9 p.m. ET, Tuesday, Oct. 1, is when the vice presidential debate is scheduled to begin.
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How long will the debate last?
90 minutes, with two breaks a few minutes apiece.
Will there be a live audience?
No, there will be no live audience during the VP debate, which will feature Vance, Walz and two moderators, who will introduce Walz first as the vice presidential nominee of the incumbent party.
Will the candidates be seated or standing?
Historically, the two VP nominees are seated for vice presidential debates. But in a shake-up from precedent, Vance and Walz will be standing behind podiums, with the two moderators seated. Walz will be positioned on the right side of the television screen and Vance on the left side.
Can moderators turn off the microphones?
Yes, CBS News will reserve the right to turn off the candidates' microphones if the moderators find it necessary.
However, the microphones will remain live during Tuesday's debate, according to debate rules released Friday by CBS News and agreed to by both campaigns. It marks a departure from the Sept. 10 presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump, whose mics were muted.
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How much time will candidates get to answer questions?
Moderators from CBS will pose questions to each candidate, who will receive two minutes to answer — the other candidate will receive two minutes to respond. The first candidate will then have one minute for further rebuttals.
From there, the moderators have the discretion to extend the discussion by giving candidates an additional minute to talk.
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Will the candidates be alerted when their time is through?
Yes. Lights inside the studio will alert candidates on how much time they have left to answer a question.
The lights will remain green until there's 15 seconds left, in which the lights will turn yellow for five seconds and start flashing red five seconds after that, then change to solid red when the time has elapsed.
Will there be closing statements?
Yes, both candidates will get two minutes to make a closing statement. Vance has elected to give his closing statement second after Walz after winning a coin toss Thursday to decide the order.
Will candidates have questions in advance?
No. Questions will be decided by the moderators, with no topics or questions shared in advance with either campaigns or candidates.
What about notes and props?
The candidates are not allowed to have pre-written notes or props during the debate, but they will be given a pen, pad of paper and a bottle of water.
Staffs of the campaigns are not allowed to interact with the candidates during the two breaks.
How to watch Tuesday's Oct. 1 vice presidential debate
The debate will be hosted by CBS News and is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET on Oct. 1.
It will be broadcast on the CBS Television Network and live streamed on all platforms where CBS News 24/7 and Paramount+ are available. The debate also will be made available to simulcast, CBS announced.
Watching the VP debate?: Here are 6 important things to look for as Walz and Vance go head-to-head
USA TODAY reporter Gabe Hauari contributed to this article.
Reach USA TODAY White House correspondent Joey Garrison on X, formerly Twitter, @joeygarrison .
John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com . Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at JTuftsReports .
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: The vice presidential debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance is Tuesday. How to watch it live
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