With the presidential election now just over two months away, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are gearing up for a contentious final stretch, which will include the first debate between the candidates.
Though Trump previously debated President Joe Biden on June 27, Biden's widely panned debate performance led to calls within the Democratic Party for him to step aside as the nominee, culminating in his withdrawal from the race late last month.
Harris and Trump are currently scheduled to debate on Sept. 10 in an event hosted by ABC News, though Trump previously suggested he may back out of the debate, citing a personal feud with the network.
The planned debate comes nearly three weeks after the conclusion of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, in which Harris formally accepted the party's nomination after a turbulent month kickstarted by Biden's withdrawal.
Though the September debate is currently the only debate currently planned between Harris and Trump, Harris' campaign said that a potential October debate was contingent on Trump attending the Sept. 10 debate.
In addition to the planned Harris-Trump debate on Sept. 10, vice presidential candidates Tim Walz and JD Vance also agreed to a debate, scheduled to be hosted by CBS News on Oct. 1.
Voters will officially head to the polls just over a month later on Nov. 5 for Election Day, though early voting starts significantly earlier in many states.
Local
In Illinois, early voting will begin on Sept. 26 and will run through Nov. 4, with Election Day voting held at a designated polling place from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 5.
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