Political debate is an essential part of democratic elections, providing voters with a unique opportunity to hear directly from the party leaders in a live, unedited, and unfiltered setting. These uniquely pressurized moments are important in educating the public on policy positions, informing undecided voters, and revealing character. But the debates’ format can also significantly impact which candidates appear most competent and relatable to voters. Whether it’s a quick-fire question format that highlights a candidate’s ability to think on their feet or a more relaxed town hall format that allows for a personal connection with voters, the debate format can make a profound difference in voter perceptions of candidates and electoral outcomes.

The CPD has sponsored general election presidential debates every cycle since 1988. Each cycle, the CPD carefully considers a number of factors including early voting dates, religious and federal holidays, other milestone events (e.g., opening of the General Assembly of the United Nations), and White House television pool contractual conflicts with Major League Baseball in order to fairly apply its nonpartisan candidate selection criteria.

To qualify for a debate, the candidate must have a statistically feasible chance of winning a majority of Electoral College votes. This requirement was established after two distinguished national organizations conducted detailed studies of the role of presidential debates in the electoral process and found that allowing the candidates to speak at length about their platforms, rather than debating over specific attacks on the opponent, achieved this goal most effectively.