Politics

9 things to know about Wednesday’s vice presidential debate; how to watch

ORLANDO, Fla. — Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris will meet Wednesday evening in the only debate scheduled for the two vice presidential running mates.

1. Primetime

The first and only vice presidential debate of 2020 is scheduled to take place at 9 p.m. Wednesday. Watch it live on WFTV Channel 9.

2. Location

Susan Page, USA Today’s Washington Bureau Chief, will moderate the debate at the University of Utah’s Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake City

3. Format

The debate will be divided into nine, 10-minute segments with each candidate getting two minutes to respond to each segment’s opening question, the Commission on Presidential Debates said.

Read: Vice presidential debate 2020: What time, what channel, livestream, live updates

4. Plexiglass?

With President Donald Trump and a dozen White House staff members and senators testing positive for COVID-19, the Biden campaign has requested the instillation of a sheet of plexiglass between Pence and Harris. The Commission on Presidential Debates has approved of the request so far. The two candidate will also be more than 12 feet apart.

Read: 5 questions as Pence and Harris prepare for debate faceoff

5. COVID-19

Both of the candidates will be tested for the virus prior to the debate. It was revealed that Trump did not arrive at the venue in time for a test prior to the Sept. 29 presidential debate.

6. Impact?

Traditionally vice presidential debates have not mattered in the final outcome of the race. But given the age of both Trump and Biden and Trump’s recent hospitalization for COVID-19, additional attention could be placed on Harris and Pence.

Read: Trump says he’s halted negotiations for new COVID-19 stimulus bill: Live updates

7. Historic

Harris will be the first woman of color ever to take the debate stage, and the third woman ever to be named as a vice presidential candidate.

8. Topics

Fox News' Chris Wallace released a list of topics ahead of the first presidential debate, but Page has not disclosed what topics will be discussed at Tuesday’s debate.

9. More?

There are supposed to be two more presidential debates, including one in Miami on Oct. 15.

Watch: U.S. House District 7 debate: Stephanie Murphy, Leo Valentin and William Garlington face off