Only Vice-Presidential debate between Vance, Walz to air Tuesday

• Voting has already begun in multiple states, including Mississippi where absentee ballots became available last week.

The only scheduled debate between the two major party vice presidential nominees is set for Tuesday, October 1.

Ohio Republican U.S. Senator J.D. Vance, former President Donald Trump’s running mate, will square off with Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, at 8 p.m. CT.

CBS News is hosting the vice presidential candidate debate at its New York studios. The debate is scheduled to air live on CBS TV, CBS News online streaming, and Paramount+. CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell and Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan will serve as the debate moderators.

Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has reportedly been standing in for Vance during Walz’s debate preparations while Minnesota Congressman Tom Emmer is said to have been Walz’s stand-in for Vance.

Voting has already begun in multiple states, including Mississippi where absentee ballots became available last week. General Election Day is November 5th.

Debate Rules

There will be no audience at the 90-minute debate and each candidate will stand behind podiums. No prewritten notes are allowed and the topics or issues to be discussed have not been shared with the candidates.

Candidates’ microphones will remain on throughout the debate, a change from the presidential debates earlier this cycle that saw microphones shut off while the other person was talking. However, CBS does reserve the right to turn them off.

The candidates will have two minutes to give closing statements at the end of the debate, with Vance choosing to go second after he won a coin toss.

About the Candidates

Harris announced Walz, 60, as her running mate in August, just ahead of the Democratic National Convention.

Walz, a pro-union Democrat, is in his second term as Governor after serving six terms in Congress. He is a military veteran and former public school teacher and football coach. Walz is on record as supporting efforts to raise the minimum wage and backing increased abortion access, among other Democrat policy initiatives.

Walz was Governor during the riots that ensued following the death of George Floyd in 2020. Those riots resulted in large portions of Minneapolis being burned as looters destroyed property and even burned down a police precinct.

The Minnesota Governor has also been criticized for the lack of fraud controls in his administration, as Walz’s state was home of the largest COVID pandemic-era fraud scheme in the nation unfold totaling upwards of $250 million.

As for Vance, Trump picked the first-term Ohio Senator on the opening day of the Republican National Convention.

Vance, 40, served in the Marine Corps, graduated from Ohio State University Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was Editor of The Yale Law Journal and President of the Yale Law Veterans Association. He went on to work as a venture capitalist.

Vance’s 2016 book about his upbringing, “Hillbilly Elegy,” was a best seller which led to a movie.

The Ohio Senator has not always been in lockstep with Trump, but he was endorsed by the former President in his 2022 election and has since been one of his most loyal backers.

While Democrats have often referred to Vance as an extremist, groups such as the Heritage Foundation have called Vance a leading voice for the conservative movement, on key issues including a shift away from interventionist foreign policy, free market economics and “American culture writ large.”

Both Walz and Vance are considered skilled debaters and should be able to hold their own in Tuesday’s forum.

Why the Vice-Presidential Debate Matters

The U.S. Vice President is a heartbeat away from the presidency, whether that comes by way of death, removal from office, or resignation. Vice Presidents have taken the reins of the nation nine times throughout America’s history.

The Vice President presides over the U.S. Senate and is a key vote in the chamber to break ties. During her tenure as Vice President, Kamala Harris set a new record for tie-breaking votes – 33 – helping Democrats push through legislation in the evenly divided Senate.

Vice Presidents preside over joint sessions of Congress, including where the counting and certification of electoral votes is acted upon by Congress.

In addition, a Vice President is often tasked by the President to undertake certain projects on behalf of the administration, such as Harris being tasked with overseeing the U.S. southern border by President Joe Biden, a move that has drawn criticism and campaign fodder from Republicans this election cycle.

Vice Presidents are often viewed as their party’s future standard-bearers as well.