The first debate of the 2024 general election is almost here: President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump will take the stage Thursday night in Atlanta.
While some of the rules and formatting elements are standard — for instance, the candidates will be allowed to take notes during the debate, but not to bring prepared notes — others will be less typical.
Here is an overview of the rules that the two campaigns have agreed to with CNN, the evening’s host.
Ninety minutes, starting at 9 p.m. Eastern time, with two commercial breaks.
That is a normal length for a presidential debate, but the commercial breaks are noteworthy: General-election debates in past cycles, sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates rather than an individual news organization, did not have them.
Persons:
Biden, Donald J, Trump
Organizations:
CNN, Commission
Locations:
Atlanta