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New Debate Rules Could Effect 2020 Election

New rules for presidential debates could expand, not shrink, the number of Democratic candidates who will participate in the next round of debates.

Rules set forth by the Democratic National Committee requires candidates to have at least two percent support in four DNC-approved polls, as well as 130,000 unique donors, to qualify for the September debates. However, only eight candidates out of near twenty-five say they have hit those target numbers.

In response, the DNC is giving candidates extra time to reach the requirements to qualify for the October debates. That means the debate in October could actually feature more candidates than the debate in September.

The last round of debates took place last week in Detroit, Michigan, and the field of candidates was so large that it had to be split into two groups. Pollsters have long predicted that candidates would start dropping out of the race as they failed to gain traction in the polls, as well as donors.

But the presidential hopefuls have stood their ground, and even low-tier candidates with one percent support or less, such as Tulsi Gabbard and Marianne Williamson, have not quit the race. Former Vice President Joe Biden remains the front-runner in most polls, followed by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.

Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris are also considered viable contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination.