Tonight's vice presidential debate feels much more like a main event fight than an undercard scuffle.
Need to know: Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will square off in New York. CBS will host the closed studio event; Margaret Brennan and Norah O'Donnell will serve as moderators. The debate starts at 9 p.m. ET and will last 90 minutes. The network said its journalists will not fact-check the candidates.
High stakes: This is not only the sole scheduled VP debate; it appears likely to be the final debate before Election Day. Former President Donald Trump is currently refusing to debate Vice President Kamala Harris for a second time, so the running mates may have the last chance for both tickets to appeal to voters in this manner.
What to watch: It is the biggest moment for both men in their political careers as they look to debate each other and also sell the primary candidate's vision. Many viewers will be effectively "meeting" them for the first time. Vance has had an unsteady run as Trump's running mate while Walz has largely avoided interviews; VP debates are sometimes more substantive in terms of policy discussions.
On the side: Trump said he plans to conduct "a personal play-by-play" of the debate on social media.
