Commission on Presidential Debates
June 24, 2024

Statement on CPD's 2024 General Election Debates

The Board of the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) today regrettably announced that the four sites selected to host its 2024 debates have been released from their contracts. The four campuses which had prepared to host the debates are:

Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, first presidential debate, September 16, 2024

Lafayette College, Easton, PA, vice presidential debate, September 25, 2024

Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA, second presidential debate, October 1, 2024

University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, third presidential debate, October 9, 2024

CPD Co-Chairs Antonia Hernández and Frank Fahrenkopf stated that, “Given the letter dated May 15, 2024 from Jen O’Malley Dillon, Campaign Chair for the Biden-Harris Campaign, in which the Biden-Harris Campaign informed the Commission that President Biden will not agree to debate under the sponsorship of the Commission during the 2024 general election campaign, it is unfair to ask the four campuses to continue to prepare for their debates, as they have been doing since their November, 2023 selection. We are grateful to the sites, and we are sorry to come to this decision. We are dismayed that students of the four campuses will not have the opportunity to participate in these historic voter education forums.”

Since its founding in 1987, the CPD has held thirty of its thirty-three debates on college or university campuses. Given the educational purpose of debates, institutions of higher learning have been logical venues and have afforded thousands of students the chance to participate in production, curricular additions and community debate-related projects.

Hernández and Fahrenkopf noted that the CPD stands ready to sponsor 2024 debates should circumstances change. “The reason for the CPD’s creation remains compelling: a neutral organization with no other role during the general election is well-positioned to offer formats that focus on the candidate and the issues that are most important to the American people.”

The CPD’s debates have traditionally been broadcast by the White House Pool, with coverage by a broad range of domestic and international media. The debates run for 90 minutes, without commercial breaks. Starting in 2012, the CPD’s debates have been divided into six 15-minute pods, each devoted to a major issue selected and announced ahead of time by the moderator. These pods allow for a detailed discussion of the issues without interruption to enforce time limits for answers, responses, rebuttals and surrebuttals. Since 1992, the debates have also included a town meeting, in which citizens get to directly ask questions of the candidates, the format most popular with the public.

The CPD is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that also works with NGOs in more than forty countries to start or enhance leadership debates; see debatesinternational.org for more information.

First Presidential Texas State University San Marcos, TX Sept. 16, 2024	Vice Presidential Lafayette College Easton, PA Sept. 25, 2024	Second Presidential Virginia State University Petersburg, VA Oct. 1, 2024	Third Presidential The University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT Oct. 9, 2024

Commission on Presidential Debates
May 1, 2024   

CPD Statement on 2024 Debate Schedule 

The non-partisan, non-profit Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) announced sites and dates for the 2024 debates in November, 2023. The first debate, scheduled for September 16, will be the earliest televised general election debate ever held. As it always does, the CPD considered multiple factors in selecting debate dates in order to make them accessible by the American public. These factors include religious and federal holidays, early voting, and the dates on which individual states close their ballots.

Yesterday, it was claimed that the CPD’s schedule does not begin until after “millions of Americans will have already cast their ballots.” The CPD purposefully chose September 16 after a comprehensive study of early voting rules in every state. On September 6, 2024, North Carolina county boards of elections will begin to mail absentee ballots to citizens who have requested them. Once those ballots are received, they can be returned to a board of elections office in person or via mail. In-person early voting in North Carolina does not begin until October 17.

On September 16, the day of the first debate, Pennsylvania voters can receive, complete and return ballots at their county boards of elections.

Every other state starts early voting later, as of the most recently published information.

Equally importantly, federal law requires any general election debate sponsor to have pre-published, objective criteria by which to decide who qualifies to participate in the debates. Nomination by a major party is not sufficient in and of itself. The CPD’s 2024 Candidate Selection Criteria, published in November, 2023, include the requirement to appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to have an arithmetic chance of winning the Electoral College. Three states do not close their ballots for independent candidates until September 6.

The CPD has only one mission: to sponsor and produce general election debates that inform and educate the public. Our schedule is designed with that single mission in mind. The colleges and universities preparing to host these debates look forward to being part of an historic 2024 series of forums.

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Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc.
April 30, 2024

Statement from Trump Campaign on Presidential Debate Commission’s Decision To Delay Debates

In response to the Commission on Presidential Debates:

“The Presidential Debate Commission’s schedule does not begin until after millions of Americans will have already cast their ballots. This is unacceptable, and by refusing to move up the debates, they are doing a grave disservice to the American public who deserve to hear from both candidates before voting begins. President Trump has stated he will debate Joe Biden anytime, anywhere, anyplace, and Joe Biden himself just agreed to debate.

“We are committed to making this happen with or without the Presidential Debate Commission. We extend an invitation to every television network in America that wishes to host a debate, and we once again call on Joe Biden’s team to work with us to set one up as soon as possible. The American people deserve it.”

— Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles

 
Read the story by Fox News here.

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National News Organizations
April 14, 2024

Joint Statement from News Organizations on Presidential Debates

With the contours of the 2024 general election now coming into clear focus, we – the undersigned national news organizations – urge the presumptive presidential nominees to publicly commit to participating in general election debates before November’s election.

General election debates have a rich tradition in our American democracy, having played a vital role in every presidential election of the past 50 years, dating to 1976. In each of those elections, tens of millions have tuned in to watch the candidates debating side by side, in a competition of ideas for the votes of American citizens.

Since 1988, the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates has sponsored all presidential general election debates. The Commission has previously announced dates, times, and eligibility criteria for 2024 debates. Though it is too early for invitations to be extended to any candidates, it is not too early for candidates who expect to meet the eligibility criteria to publicly state their support for – and their intention to participate in – the Commission’s debates planned for this fall.

If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high. Amidst that backdrop, there is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of our nation.

ABC News

The Associated Press

CBS News

CNN

C-SPAN

FOX News Media

NBCUniversal News Group

NewsNation

Noticias Univision (Univision Network News)

NPR

PBS NewsHour

USA TODAY

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Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc. [PDF]

April 11, 2024

The Commission on Presidential Debates
Attn: Co-Chairs Frank Fahrenkopf, Jr., and Antonia Hernandez
Executive Director Janet H. Brown
P.O. Box 58247
Washington, D.C. 20037
Media@Debates.org


Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc.
P.O. Box 13570
Arlington, VA 22219

Dear Members of the Commission:

We write today in agreement with the pending letter from television networks advocating for presidential debates to occur in 2024.

While the Commission on Presidential Debates has already announced three presidential debates and a vice-presidential debate to occur later this year, we are in favor of these debates beginning much earlier.

Here’s why:

1)    Voting is beginning earlier and earlier, and as we saw in 2020, tens of millions of Americans had already voted by the time of the first debate. Specific to the Commission’s proposed 2024 calendar, it simply comes too late. Below are the estimates for how many Americans will have already voted by the date of each scheduled debate:

a.    By the date of the first proposed debate, September 16, 2024, over 1 million Americans will have likely voted.

b.    By the date of the second proposed debate, October 1, 2024, the number of Americans who will have likely cast a ballot will be over 3 million, an increase of 225%.

c.    By the date of the third proposed debate, October 9, 2024, or 35 days out from election day, approximately 8.7 million Americans will have already voted.

2. Americans were robbed of a true and robust debate in 2020. There were only two debates, and they happened much too late in the election calendar despite voting timelines having moved up exponentially.

In 2020, the Commission ceded to the wishes of the Biden campaign on every front, refusing to move up the dates of the debates, failing to reschedule the debate canceled by COVID-19, cutting off President Trump’s microphone over and over in the middle of a debate, and in the case of the first debate, selecting a demonstrably anti-Trump moderator clearly positioned to aid Joe Biden. Fairness in such a setting is paramount and the Commission must ensure that the 2024 Commission-sponsored debates are truly fair and conducted impartially.

The Commission must move up the timetable of its proposed 2024 debates to ensure more Americans have a full chance to see the candidates before they start voting, and we would argue for adding more debates in addition to those on the currently proposed schedule. We have already indicated President Trump is willing to debate anytime, anyplace, and anywhere – and the time to start these debates is now.

Former President Abraham Lincoln and former U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas held seven debates in their storied 1858 U.S. Senate battle in Illinois. Certainly today’s America deserves as much.

Sincerely,

Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita

Donald J. Trump for President Co-Campaign Managers

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Commission on Presidential Debates
November 20, 2023

Commission on Presidential Debates Announces Sites and Dates for 2024 General Election Debates and 2024 Nonpartisan Candidate Selection Criteria

The nonpartisan, nonprofit Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) today announced sites and dates for three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate during the 2024 general election. The sites and dates are:

First presidential debate:
Monday, September 16, 2024
Texas State University, San Marcos, TX

Vice presidential debate:
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Lafayette College, Easton, PA

Second presidential debate:
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA

Third presidential debate:
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT


The CPD will announce additional details about the 2024 general election debates, including format and moderators, in 2024. All debates will start at 9:00pm ET and will run for 90 minutes without commercial interruption.

CPD Co-Chairs Frank Fahrenkopf and Antonia Hernández stated: "The United States’ general election debates, watched live worldwide, are a model for many other countries: the opportunity to hear and see leading candidates address serious issues in a fair and neutral setting. This tradition remains unbroken since 1976. In 2024, students at our four debate sites will help bring another set of historic conversations to audiences here and abroad. And their campuses will anchor four unique chances to listen and learn.

"We are deeply grateful to the University of Utah for hosting its second general election debate, to Lafayette College and Texas State University for the first CPD debates in Pennsylvania and Texas, and to Virginia State University for the first debate ever held at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU)."

The CPD was established in 1987 and has sponsored and produced all general election presidential and vice presidential debates since then. The CPD receives no funding from the government or any political party or campaign.

More information can be found at www.debates.org or @debates

COMMISSION ON PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
NONPARTISAN CANDIDATE SELECTION CRITERIA
2024 NONPARTISAN SELECTION CRITERIA

A. INTRODUCTION

The mission of the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (the “CPD”) is to ensure, for the benefit of the American electorate, that general election debates are held every four years between the leading candidates for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States. The CPD sponsored a series of such debates in each of the past nine general elections, and has begun the planning, preparation, and organization of a series of nonpartisan debates among leading candidates for the Presidency and Vice Presidency in the 2024 general election. As in prior years, the CPD’s voter educational activities will be conducted in accordance with all applicable legal requirements, including regulations of the Federal Election Commission that require that debate sponsors extend invitations to debate based on the application of “pre-established, objective” criteria.

The goal of the CPD’s debates is to afford the members of the public an opportunity to sharpen their views, in a focused debate format, of those candidates from among whom the next President and Vice President will be selected. In each of the last nine elections, there were scores of declared candidates for the Presidency, excluding those seeking the nomination of one of the major parties. During the course of the campaign, the candidates are afforded many opportunities in a great variety of forums to advance their candidacies. In order most fully and fairly to achieve the educational purposes of its debates, the CPD has developed nonpartisan, objective criteria upon which it will base its decisions regarding selection of the candidates to participate in its 2024 debates. The purpose of the criteria is to identify those candidates whose support among the electorate places them among the candidates who have a realistic chance of being elected President of the United States. The realistic chance need not be overwhelming, but it must be more than theoretical.

In connection with the 2024 general election, the CPD will apply three criteria to each declared candidate to determine whether that candidate qualifies for inclusion in one or more of the CPD’s debates. The criteria are (1) constitutional eligibility, (2) ballot access, and (3) electoral support. All three criteria must be satisfied before a candidate will be invited to debate.

B. NONPARTISAN SELECTION CRITERIA

The CPD’s nonpartisan criteria for selecting candidates to participate in the 2024 general election for presidential debates are:

1. EVIDENCE OF CONSTITUTIONAL ELIGIBILITY

The CPD’s first criterion requires satisfaction of the eligibility requirements of Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution. The requirements are satisfied if the candidate:

    is at least 35 years of age;
    is a Natural Born Citizen of the United States and a resident of the United States for fourteen years; and
    is otherwise eligible under the Constitution.

2. EVIDENCE OF BALLOT ACCESS

The CPD’s second criterion requires that the candidate qualify to have his/her name appear on enough state ballots to have at least a mathematical chance of securing an Electoral College majority in the 2024 general election. Under the Constitution, the candidate who receives a majority of the votes in the Electoral College, at least 270 votes, is elected President regardless of the popular vote.

3. INDICATORS OF ELECTORAL SUPPORT

The CPD’s third criterion requires that the candidate have a level of support of at least 15% (fifteen percent) of the national electorate as determined by five national public opinion polling organizations selected by the CPD, using the average of those organizations' most recent publicly-reported results at the time of the determination. CPD will rely on the advice of a recognized expert or experts in public opinion polling in determining the polls it will rely upon. The polls to be relied upon will be selected based on the quality of the methodology employed, the reputation of the polling organizations and the frequency of the polling conducted. CPD will identify the selected polling organizations well in advance of the time the criteria are applied.

C. APPLICATION OF CRITERIA

The CPD’s determination with respect to participation in CPD’s first-scheduled debate will be made after Labor Day 2024, but sufficiently in advance of the first-scheduled debate to allow for orderly planning. Invitations to participate in the vice-presidential debate will be extended to the running mate of each of the presidential candidates qualifying for participation in the CPD’s first presidential debate. Invitations to participate in the second and third of the CPD’ scheduled presidential debates will be based upon satisfaction of the same multiple criteria prior to each debate.

Adopted: October 30, 2023


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More Resources:
C-SPAN - Debate Lesson Plan: 2024 Presidential Debate Viewing Guides
LWV: Debate Watching Kit