Presidential and Vice Presidential Debate Facts

Televised presidential and vice presidential debates have traditional aired in September and October. A tradition that began in 1960 with John F. Kennedy squaring off against Richard Nixon. In 2024, incumbent Joe Biden will debate Republican presumptive nominee, Donald Trump. Neither of candidates have officially been nominated. The Pew Research Center offers 6 Facts about Presidential and Vice Presidential Debates.

1. The debates draw a lot of viewers.
2. Ratings for the presidential debates have risen and fallen over the decades.
3. Voters find the debates useful, but not necessarily determinative.
4. The vice presidential debates are the undercard.
5. Today’s televised debates don’t much resemble the first ones.
6. Most of the moderators have been broadcast journalists.

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Sourced from the Pew Research Center

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