Posted by 
The world is holding its breath in the lead-up to the first US presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump today (AEST).
It's the first time the two candidates will take to the stage together for a debate.
It will also be the first time they've officially met, according to reports from CNN, which found that they have only even been in the same room once before, during Trump's State of the Union addresses to Congress in 2020.
READ MORE: Dazzling Paralympic ceremony caps '11 days of wonder'
Though it's Harris and Trump's first debate, this is the second debate of the US election cycle.
The first was held between President Joe Biden and Trump in June, with Biden's shaky performance the catalyst for him to pull out of the election race about a month later.
READ MORE: Three children fighting for lives after Melbourne house fire
How will it work?
The purpose of a presidential debate is to allow candidates – in this case, Harris and Trump – to address key election issues in a public format so that undecided voters can figure out which candidate they want to back.
Harris and Trump's debate will be moderated by two news anchors, who will guide the conversation with questions on key topics each candidate will be allowed to answer.
The candidates will also be allowed to respond to one another's answers with rebuttals or follow-up comments.
The debate will be televised and millions are expected to tune in around the globe.
Rules for the debate
The rules for the Harris vs Trump debate are similar to the debate CNN hosted between Biden and Trump in June.
The rules for the Harris vs Trump debate are as follows:
- The debate will run for 90 minutes, including two commercial breaks
- No props or pre-written notes are allowed (Harris and Trump will, however, be given a pen and paper to use during the debate)
- Harris and Trump's microphones will be muted, except for when they're asked to speak
- Harris and Trump will have two minutes to answer each question, two minutes to rebut, and an extra minute for added comments or clarifications
- Harris and Trump will not be allowed to speak with their team at any time during the debate
- Harris and Trump will not be allowed to give opening statements, but they will have two minutes to deliver closing statements
- There will be no live audience
READ MORE: The crack that's causing train chaos across Sydney
Debate location
The debate between Harris and Trump will be held at the National Constitutional Centre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The US ABC network will host the event.
Polls and predictions
At the time of writing, Harris and Trump are sitting very close in US election polls and predictions.
A national poll of likely voters released on September 8 showed Trump was leading with 48 per cent to Harris' 47 per cent, per The New York Times and Siena College.
However, in Pennsylvania, where the presidential debate is set to be hosted, Harris and Trump are tied 50-50 according to a CBS/YouGov poll released on September 8.
READ MORE: Mum of accused school shooter called in alert minutes before attack
When is the debate?
The Harris vs Trump debate is scheduled to take place in the US at 9pm local time on Tuesday, September 10.
That's 11am AEST today in Australia.
How to watch the debate
You can watch the debate live and on-demand on Channel 9 and 9Now.
Who is hosting the debate?
Two anchors from US network ABC will be moderating the debate between Harris and Trump: ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis and World News Tonight anchor David Muir.
Davis is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who has interviewed many politicians and influential figures throughout her career, including Harris and Hillary Clinton.
She was also at the forefront of ABC News' coverage of the 2020 presidential election.
Muir is also an Emmy Award-winning reporter and has moderated multiple Democratic and Republican presidential primary debates in his career.
He conducted Trump's first interview as president in January 2017, interviewed him again in 2020 about the COVID-19 pandemic, and hosted the first joint interview with Biden and Harris ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
Will there be a live audience?
There will not be a live audience at the Harris vs Trump debate, however some reporters will be allowed into the room.
It's understood they will not be asking questions.
How long will the debate last?
The debate is set to run for 90 minutes, including two commercial breaks.
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, celebrity and sport via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.
