Organisers announced four US universities as hosts of the debates - three presidential and one vice presidential - in the 2016 election cycle, beginning with the first Democratic-Republican encounter on September 26 next year. According to the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), the debut event will take place at Wright State University in Dayton, in the crucial political battleground of Ohio, perhaps the ultimate US swing state.
Eight days later, the vice presidential candidates will square off in their lone head-to-head debate of the election cycle, on October 4 at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. The second presidential encounter will be October 9 at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. The Midwestern school is familiar territory for the commission, which chose Washington University as a debate host in five straight election cycles between 1992 to 2008.
The third and final presidential debate next year is set for October 19 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "We look forward to working with these fine universities and their students and communities to bring these important civic events to the nation," CPD co-chairs Frank Fahrenkopf and Mike McCurry said in a statement. Election Day is November 8, 2016, and the race to succeed Barack Obama in the White House is already in full swing. Billionaire real estate tycoon Donald Trump is leading the 15-strong Republican field, while former secretary of state Hillary Clinton is the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.