The United States will hold its 59th Presidential elections on November 3, 2020. The fight is between the incumbent, US President Donald J Trump (Republican) and Democratic Party Nominee and former Vice President Joseph R Biden. The elections will be held in the backdrop of the Coronavirus pandemic which has claimed over one million lives globally of which over two lakh are in the U.S. alone.

Trump’s handling of the pandemic; the ongoing racial tensions which have led to mass protests across multiple cities, his tax returns are some of the topics which have become rallying points for both sides. The first of the three presidential debates is scheduled to be held on September 29, 2020. Here is all you need to know about how, where and when to watch it.

What Is The Presidential Debate?

It has become customary for the two main candidates vying for the post of the President of the United States to participate in a debate against each other to answer and explain their policy views as well as challenge the incumbent’s performance. Ever since the 1992 US Presidential elections, there have been three presidential and one vice-presidential candidate debate before the final voting day. The debates are conducted by the Commission on Presidential Debates.

When Are The Debates For 2020 US Presidential Elections?

The date for the first debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden is September 29, 2020, and will begin at 9pm Eastern Time. It will last for one hour and thirty minutes. It will be held at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. The first debate will be moderated by Chris Wallace, A News Presenter with Fox News Channel.

The Commission on Presidential Debates and the Debate Moderator Release the topics for debate one week before the event. The topics for the first debate are: Trump’s and Biden’s records, the Supreme Court, the coronavirus pandemic, the economy, race and violence in cities and the integrity of the election. Five Issues on Top of Google Search Ahead of 1st Donald Trump-Joe Biden Clash

How to watch: You can watch the debate if any of the following channels are provided by your cable network provider – C-SPAN (a non-profit bipartisan cable channel which tracks public service proceedings and it will run coverage on its website as well as YouTube channel). American networks CNN, Fox News, ABC, NBC, MSNBC and CBS will be streaming the event live.

The New York Times will also livestream the event, and if you subscribe to the publication you can view it on their app. The Guardian newspaper’s website will also be streaming the debate as well as offering live coverage.

International Times for First Presidential Debate: The debate will begin at 06:30AM Wednesday IST, 1:00AM Wednesday GMT and 6:00PM Tuesday Pacific Time.

Second Presidential Debate Date & Time: The second face-off between Trump and Biden is scheduled for October 15, 2020 and will be held at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida. The second debate is scheduled for 9pm and will last for 90 minutes.

Third Presidential Debate Date & Time: The third and final debate will be held at Belmont University, Nashville, Tennessee on October 22, 2020. The third debate is scheduled for 9pm and will last for 90 minutes.

Vice Presidential Debate Date: The running mates of the respective candidates, Vice President Mike Pence for Trump and Kamala Harris for Joe Biden will also face off once on October 7, 2020.

Other details about the debate such as a live audience, and the number of people allowed inside the venue are not yet known as the election practices are being modified to manage it in the time of a pandemic.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 29, 2020 04:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).