Tim Walz and JD Vance will face off Tuesday night in the first – and only – vice-presidential debate before the November election. With the campaigns currently neck-and-neck in the polls, and with voting under way in some states, it’s a chance for the would-be vice-presidents to introduce themselves to a wide US audience.
While VP debates don’t usually tip the scales much, they could matter in a close race – and they build profiles for lower-profile politicians who will probably stay on the national scene for years to come.
The pair will face off just weeks after Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced off during the ABC debate and just 35 days before the election on 5 November.
Here’s what else to know about tonight’s presidential debate.
When is the Walz-Vance debate?
The 90-minute debate is scheduled to begin at 9pm ET on Tuesday, 1 October. It will take place in New York City and be hosted by CBS News.
Where can I watch the Walz-Vance debate on TV in the US?
In the US, the debate will air live on CBS News. It will also be livestreamed on their YouTube channel.
Major news networks are likely to carry the debate in prime time. PBS will have live coverage of the debate.
In the UK, the BBC News Channel and BBC One will air the debate, with coverage from 1am-5am BST on Wednesday. In Australia, you can watch the debate on the ABC News Channel.
The Guardian has a team of reporters in New York City and will be covering the debate on a live blog and through live analysis and news.
Who is moderating the debate?
Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan will serve as moderators for the debate. O’Donnell is the anchor of CBS Evening News, and Brennan is the network’s chief foreign affairs correspondent.
Will moderators fact-check the candidates?
CBS News indicates it is up to Walz and Vance to fact-check their opponents – not the moderators.
In the debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, moderators did not offer fact checks. In the debate between Harris and Trump, moderators weighed in to correct the record on the former president’s misleading claims on topics ranging from abortion to Project 2025.
CBS says a QR code will appear on screen for portions of the debate. Viewers can scan the code to follow the outlet’s live coverage and analysis – including fact checks – of the debate on their website. Moderators will be primarily focused on facilitating the debate and enforcing the rules of the debate, CBS said.
How have Walz and Vance prepared for the debate?
Pete Buttigieg is standing in for JD Vance in Walz’s debate prep and mock sessions. In 2020, Buttigieg was the stand-in for then vice-presidential candidate Mike Pence. Meanwhile, Minnesota representative Tom Emmer is serving as the Walz stand-in as Vance prepares for Tuesday night.
What are the debate rules?
Like the Harris-Trump debate, there will be no live audience in the studio, but unlike the two presidential debates so far, the microphones for both candidates will not be muted. The moderator retains the ability to mute their microphones, however. There will be two commercial breaks.
The candidates will appear behind lecterns – a departure from the seated format of previous election cycles, including 2020 when Harris and Pence faced off.
Vance and Walz will have two minutes for closing statements. Vance won a virtual coin toss and elected to get the last word.
Will there be a second Harris-Trump debate?
It’s unclear whether Harris and Trump will participate in a second debate. The vice-president challenged Trump to another debate, telling a crowd earlier in September that her opponent “seems to be looking for an excuse” to avoid a second confrontation.
Harris said she accepted a CNN invitation for a debate on 23 October, but Trump said it was already “too late” for a second matchup.
“It’s too late to do another, I’d love to in many ways but it’s too late, the voting is cast, the voters are out there, immediately – is everybody voting, please? Get out and vote,” Trump said at a rally in North Carolina in late September.
When is the presidential election?
Voters head to the polls on 5 November.
