How the VP debate rules will work for the Walz-Vance 2024 showdown

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance and Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz will meet for their first and only debate on Tuesday, hosted by CBS News at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York. 

The VP debate begins at 9 p.m. ET, and will be moderated by “CBS Evening News” anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell and “Face the Nation” moderator and chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan. 

Here are the rules for the debate, as laid out by CBS News:

How will the VP debate begin and who will stand where?

Walz will stand behind the podium on stage left, which is the right side from the viewpoint of the moderators and on screen. Vance’s podium will be on the opposite side. Walz and Vance are to remain behind their podiums for the duration of the debate. They will be introduced by the moderators beginning with the candidate of the incumbent party, meaning Walz will be introduced first. 

Will there be opening statements? 

There will be no opening statements.

How long will the VP debate last?

There will be 90 minutes of debate time, starting at 9 p.m. ET, with two breaks of four minutes each. 

Will there be an audience?

Like the debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump in Philadelphia, there will be no audience in the studio. 

How long will candidates have to answer questions? 

For each question, the candidate who was asked the question will have two minutes to answer, and the other candidate will be allowed two minutes to respond. Following that, each candidate will have one minute for additional rebuttals. And the moderators may at their discretion give candidates an additional minute each to continue a topic.

Lights in front of each candidate will indicate how much time they have left to speak. The candidates will also each have a countdown clock.

The moderators will be seated and will be the only ones in the room permitted to ask questions. 

Closing statements

At the end, candidates will have two minutes each for closing statements. A coin toss was held on Sept. 26 to allow the winner to choose the order of closing statements. Vance won the toss, and elected to go second, so he will have the final word. 

Will mics be muted while the other candidate talks? 

CBS News reserves the right to mute the candidates’ microphones, but otherwise, they will be hot.

Will candidates get questions in advance? 

Candidates will not receive any questions in advance, nor will they receive any topics in advance. 

Additionally, campaign staffers are not permitted to interact with Walz and Vance during breaks. And candidates are not allowed to have props or pre-written notes on the stage. They will be given a pen, a pad of paper and a water bottle.

CBS News will host the only planned vice presidential debate between Vance and Walz on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 9 p.m. ET on CBS and CBS News 24/7. Download the free CBS News app for live coverage, post-debate analysis, comprehensive fact checks and more.