BBC
The two US vice presidential candidates are scheduled to face off on the debate stage a little more than a month before the White House election.
Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio will face off against Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota in New York City on Tuesday night.
The debate took place three weeks after the presidential election clash between Donald Trump, who chose Vance as his running mate, and Kamala Harris, who chose Walz.
Here’s everything you need to know.
When and where will the discussion take place?
The CBS debate will be moderated by Norah O’Donnell (left) and Margaret Brennan.
The 90-minute match-up will take place on Tuesday, October 1 at 21:00 EDT (02:00 BST) at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City.
It will be broadcast on CBS Network TV and streamed live on platforms accessible by CBS News 24/7 and Paramount+.
The forum will be moderated by Norah O’Donnell, anchor of CBS Evening News, and Margaret Brennan, host of the network’s current affairs show “Face the Nation.”
There will be two breaks, each lasting 4 minutes.
The BBC has teams of reporters in New York and Washington who will provide analysis, fact-checking and reaction as part of the live coverage.
What are the rules?
The rules for the vice presidential debate mirror those for last month’s showdown between Trump and Harris, with one small difference. That means the mic gets hot.
CBS has said it reserves the right to mute candidates’ microphones, but that their microphones will remain on even if a candidate is not designated a turn to speak.
Both candidates will be standing, unlike the previous three vice presidential debates in the U.S. election cycle, where the candidates were seated.
Walz stands behind the podium to the left of the stage and to the right of the screen. Vance will be standing across from him.
Campaign aides are not allowed to speak to the pair during breaks. Running mates will also not be allowed to bring pre-written notes on stage.
Candidates will have two minutes to answer questions from the moderator. The other candidate will have 2 minutes to respond. Each candidate will have one minute to rebut.
CBS said it would be up to Vance and Walz to fact-check each other’s statements, but “the host will facilitate the opportunity to do so” during rebuttal time.
There is no live studio audience or opening remarks.
Candidates will have two minutes for a final statement. Vance won the coin toss and elected to have the last word.
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How are candidates preparing?
Director Waltz has been preparing for the role with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who will play Vance.
He holds sessions late at night and on weekends, studying videos of his competitors.
Mr. Vance is preparing with Republican Rep. Tom Emmer, who represents Mr. Walz’s home state of Minnesota.
He also met with his wife, attorney Usha Vance, and senior Trump adviser Jason Miller.
What should I be careful about?
Vance accused Walz, a former public school teacher and football coach, of Republican criticism of his hard-line coronavirus policies in Minnesota, including establishing a hotline to report violations of social distancing rules. likely to be targeted.
Mr. Vance may also criticize Mr. Walz for signing a bill last year that allowed tampon dispensers to be installed in boys’ restrooms in public schools.
He could also accuse Walz of misrepresenting his military record. Minnesota’s governor acknowledged in August that he had made a “gaffe” in 2018 when he called for stricter gun laws and said he handled assault weapons “during a war.” Walz resigned from the National Guard before his unit was deployed to Iraq.
The Minnesota governor is likely to attack Mr. Vance for his past comments, including calling some Democratic politicians “a bunch of childless cat ladies living miserable lives.”
Mr. Walz also may go after an Ohio state senator who has repeatedly defended unsubstantiated stories about immigrants eating household pets in Ohio towns.
He could also try to embarrass Vance over a leaked message in 2020 in which Trump said he had “completely failed to deliver on economic populism.”
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Learn more about US elections
North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher explains the race for the White House in his weekly U.S. Elections Unspin newsletter. UK readers can sign up here. People outside the UK can sign up here.
