90 crucial minutes

Two candidates who, according to the Voice of America, have never met or spoken on the phone, will meet tonight at 9 p.m. local time, in a single debate in the campaign.

Kamala Harris is rumored to be skilled in debates, but Donald Trump has shown in the 2016 and 2020 presidential debates that he is a tough opponent. This is the second presidential debate in 2024.

The first was held in June between Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, before the latter decided to withdraw from the election race.

Tens of millions of Americans are likely to watch the two presidential candidates, who are expected to exchange arrows for 90 minutes while answering questions from ABC News anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis.

The debate will last 90 minutes with two commercial breaks, and a coin toss was held virtually on Tuesday, September 3, to determine the place at the podium and the order of the closing remarks.

Trump won the coin toss and will make the final statement, while Harris chose the right-hand position at the podium from the spectator's angle.

The rules imply that the candidates enter by presentation from opposite sides of the stage, and the current party in power, i.e. the Democratic Party, will be the first to be presented.

There are no opening statements and closing statements will last two minutes per candidate, while props and pre-written notes are prohibited.

No topics or questions will be shared in advance with election teams and candidates, and Harris and Trump will be provided with a pen, a pad of paper and a bottle of water, ABC News writes.

Candidates will have two minutes to answer the question, two minutes to counter-argue the opponent and one additional minute for follow-up activities, clarifications or answers.

The microphones will be turned on only for the candidate whose turn it is to speak and muted for the other candidate during that time. Candidates will not be allowed to ask each other questions, which will only be allowed by the moderators of the debate.

Campaign staff are not allowed to interact with candidates during commercial breaks and there will be no audience in the room.

ABC News adds that it is the moderator's job to ensure that the candidates respect the allotted time and have a decent discussion.

Public opinion polls at the national level show that the ratings of the candidates are almost equal.

A New York Times-Siena College poll released yesterday showed Trump leading 48 percent to 47 percent nationally, though the newspaper showed Harris ahead on average in multiple polls in three key states -- Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, with equal support for candidates in four other key states - Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina.

Harris prepared for the debate at a hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she held several mock debates with an associate who played the role of Trump.

Trump has often insulted Harris, saying she "has no idea what she's doing" adding that she's a "dangerous woman."

Harris also mocked Trump. At the Democratic National Convention in early August, Harris said Trump was a frivolous man.