The debates are a key part of the election cycle and can provide an opportunity for voters to see candidates in action and hear their views on a variety of topics. The format of these debates varies, but the majority are structured in similar ways: one or more moderators pose questions to the candidates while members of the audience watch. Some debates are conducted over television, radio or the internet.
A candidate is allowed about two minutes to answer a question and then the opposing candidate has about one minute to respond or rebut their opponent’s arguments. If a topic is controversial, there may be an extended discussion with both sides making their case. At the moderator’s discretion, a debate may be interrupted or cut short by a bell or buzzer. In recent debates, the use of colored lights resembling traffic signals has been introduced to help the candidates know how much time they have left, with green indicating 30 seconds, yellow indicating 15 seconds and red indicating only five seconds remain.
Despite all the hype, debates rarely move the political needle very much. They might give a slight boost to a campaign and draw a large crowd, but in the end they don’t change electoral outcomes very much.
Unlike the Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858, modern presidential debates are governed by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). In order to participate, a candidate must have a statistically feasible chance of winning a majority of Electoral College votes. This requirement is based on the results of national polls.
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