COLUMBIA, S.C. — In just a few hours, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will face off in a highly anticipated debate in Atlanta.
According to a New York Times poll, 74% of registered voters plan to watch the debate. This translates to roughly 161 million people tuning in.
News19 spoke with local voters earlier today to understand the issues and policies they hope the candidates will address. While most locals declined to comment, those who did share their opinions had similar concerns, primarily focusing on the state of the economy and the impact of inflation on their daily lives.
"Right now, inflation is crazy," said one local planning to watch the debate. Another voter added, "Well, there are several issues I think are important, and the economy, of course, is one of them." A third person echoed these sentiments, saying, "Definitely worried about the economy."
Tonight's debate will be the first time Biden and Trump go head-to-head on TV since 2020.
A new CBS poll indicates that about one in five voters planning to watch will look to the debate to help them decide who to vote for.
The reasons for watching the debate vary, but the majority of viewers want to hear about the candidates' plans and policies. Immigration is one of the key topics voters are interested in.
"I'm a descendant of immigrants," said Joe Guido, a South Carolina local. "So I believe this is the country to come to. There is an American dream. The dream right now, though, I don't know if it's attainable for young people. As far as immigration goes, as long as you come in the right way, I'm all for it."
Others, like Alexia Weldy, are eager to hear the candidates' stances on women's reproductive rights. "I feel like women should have the choice to make that decision to get an abortion or if they don't, and people don't have the choice to limit what you do," she said.
Whether viewers are watching to see how the candidates perform, to help them make a voting decision, or even for pure entertainment, USC Political Science Professor Chase Meyer believes people will tune in.
"The voters are familiar with the candidates. They've seen them many times before. But we also know, based on history, the first presidential debate always gets more viewers than the later debates because there is still tremendous interest. This is the presidential debate. One of these two people is going to be the new president," Meyer explained.