In a time when young voters increasingly get their news from social media like Instagram and TikTok, it is important to expose them to political debate so that they can develop positive attitudes toward democracy. Debates may also help encourage them to vote in 2024, which is especially critical as their turnout has historically lagged behind the general population.
Currently, the CPD selects sites for presidential debates by accepting bids from interested parties. The organization considers various factors, including early voting days, religious and federal holidays, milestone events (such as the opening of the General Assembly of the United Nations), and White House television pool contractual conflicts when selecting debate sites.
In addition, the CPD selects moderators based on their familiarity with the candidates and major issues in the election, extensive experience in live television broadcast journalism, and an understanding that the debates should focus maximum time and attention on the candidates. The moderators do not meet with the campaigns, and the campaigns have no role in determining questions for the debates.
This approach can create a situation where voters have come to understand the candidates’ positions through months of campaign events and other news coverage, and therefore find debates to be less informative than they might otherwise be. It can also leave little room for new ideas or priorities to emerge. The situation is particularly acute this cycle, with Harris’s late entry into the race and Biden’s track record in office making him a well-known commodity while Harris is largely unknown, as she has spent the majority of her career working in state government.