How long is the Walz - Vance VP debate scheduled for? Time limit, rules and format information
Vice-presidential candidates JD Vance and Tim Walz will face each other in their first and only debate on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Here are the rules of the event.
JD Vance and Tim Walz will face off in the first and only vice presidential debate of this election season on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York.
CBS will host the event, with “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell and chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan as moderators.
How long is the Walz - Vance VP debate scheduled for? Time limit, rules and format information
The vice-presidential meeting will begin at 9 p.m. ET, with the candidates given 90 minutes of debate time. They will be allowed two four-minute breaks.
Just like the presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump held earlier this month, there will be no studio audience, nor will there be opening statements.
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Time limit for answers and rebuttals
Moderators will be the only ones allowed to ask questions. After they pose one, the candidate to whom it was directed will be given two minutes to answer, after which his rival will have two minutes to respond.
After the response, both Vance and Walz will be given one minute each for rebuttals. The moderators have the power to decide whether to give the candidates an extra minute each to continue discussing an issue.
The two vice-presidential hopefuls will each have a countdown clock to let them know how much time they have left to speak, while lights in front of them will show the audience the remaining time.
Microphones of the two candidates will be live, although CBS News reserves the right to mute them.
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Candidates to get no help on stage
CBS did not provide the candidates advance notice of the questions or topics to be covered. Vance and Walz are not permitted to bring notes on stage. However, they will be provided with a pen and a pad of paper to jot down their thoughts..
The candidates will also be prohibited from talking to members of their campaign staff during the breaks.
Order of closing statements
Walz and Vance will be given two minutes each to deliver their closing statements. A coin toss was held a few days ago to allow the winner to decide whether to go first or last. The Republican won the toss, and chose to go second.