CBS News announced the guidelines for Tuesday’s live vice presidential debate between Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance, marking their only scheduled face-off on the national stage.
The 90-minute debate is set to begin at 9 p.m. EDT on Oct. 1 in New York City and will be moderated by Norah O’Donnell of “CBS Evening News” and Margaret Brennan from “Face the Nation.”
Key rules:
The debate will last 90 minutes with two four-minute breaks.
No audience will be present.
The moderators will be seated and will ask all questions.
Candidates will stand at podiums, with Walz on stage left and Vance on stage right.
Each candidate gets two minutes for closing statements, with Sen. Vance going last, based on a virtual coin toss.
No props, pre-written notes, or advanced questions will be allowed.
Candidates will receive a pen, pad of paper, and water.
Staff cannot interact with candidates during breaks.
Timing will be regulated with lights, and microphones may be turned off by CBS if necessary.
For each question, candidates will have two minutes to respond, followed by two minutes for rebuttals, and possibly one minute for extended discussion if allowed by the moderators.
