One of the most contentious rules of the upcoming debate is whether the candidates’ microphones will be muted when they’re not speaking, or whether they’ll remain on. While former President Donald Trump historically favored the latter, his campaign wants to mute them.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden, ahead of his disastrous debate performance in July, wanted the microphones to be muted when Biden wasn’t speaking. But now Democrats want the microphones to stay on for Harris, insisting that this “will allow for full substantive exchanges between the candidates.”

On Wednesday, it was announced that the two candidates had agreed on debate rules that said microphones would be muted when a candidate wasn’t speaking. Other rules for the Sept. 10 debate mirror many of the rules from the last presidential debate between Trump and Biden.

Candidates stand behind lecterns, make no opening statements, and are not allowed to take notes. The debate lasts 90 minutes.

Pennsylvania is a must-win swing state in the presidential race, and both campaigns have poured money into media markets in the Keystone State. Trump won Pennsylvania in 2016 and Biden won it in 2020.

Trump and Harris are nearly tied in Pennsylvania and Georgia, and Trump’s debate with President Joe Biden took place in Atlanta.

Although Election Day, November 5, is still nine weeks away, early voting in Pennsylvania begins this month. Whoever wins Pennsylvania gets 20 electoral votes.

Philadelphia is also conveniently located on the northeastern corridor between Washington, DC and the media centers of New York City.

The first presidential debate, held on Tuesday, September 10, will be moderated by ABC’s David Muir and Linsey Davis. Muir is the host of ABC’s “World News Tonight,” while Davis hosts the Sunday edition of the program and hosts her own show, “ABC News Live.”

Muir has been with ABC since 2003. He was former President Donald Trump’s first White House interview as president. More recently, he interviewed President Joe Biden on the anniversary of the famous D-Day invasion.

Davis has been with the network since 2007. In July 2023, she interviewed Vice President Kamala Harris and lists a long list of other prominent people she has spoken to on camera.

Both Muir and Davis previously moderated presidential debates in 2016, 2019 and 2020.