General Questions

The debate will be held at 8 p.m. (CST) Friday, September 26, at the Gertrude C. Ford Center on The University of Mississippi’s Oxford campus.

The Commission on Presidential Debates is in control of the number of available seats in the debate hall. Unfortunately, there are no seats available for the general public. The majority of the seats are reserved for the Commission on Presidential Debates, the candidates’ campaign staffs and both the Republican and Democratic parties. An extremely limited number of seats are available for The University of Mississippi. The university has determined that students will receive those tickets. The university is working with the student body to determine how the tickets will be distributed.

The University of Mississippi will have a number of opportunities for the campus, community, alumni, prospective students and general public to get involved. A series of seminars, lectures, workshops and special events are currently being planned. As guest speakers and events are announced, they will be listed on the debate Calendar of Events. There will also be debate watch parties on campus, around Mississippi and across the nation. More information will follow as event locations are finalized.

The Commission on Presidential Debates was established in 1987 to ensure that debates, as a permanent part of every general election, provide the best possible information to viewers and listeners. The Commission’s primary purpose is to sponsor and produce debates for the United States presidential and vice presidential candidates and to undertake research and educational activities relating to the debates. The organization, which is a nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation, sponsored all the presidential debates in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004.

The Commission on Presidential Debates selected Ole Miss from a pool of 19 sites nationwide. The University of Mississippi will host the first of four debates this year. Ole Miss was selected as a presidential debate site after university officials completed a lengthy application process, which included a campus visit by the CPD.

The University of Mississippi sees hosting the debate as an excellent educational opportunity for students. Please visit the Calendar of Events to learn more about the events scheduled on campus and in the community. Students may also apply to serve as volunteers in a variety of areas to provide administrative and technical support.

The Commission on Presidential Debates will issue only a limited number of debate tickets to the university, and these will be distributed to Ole Miss students in September. Information on the distribution process for these student tickets will be available in mid-August.

The university is developing debate-related activities and events for Ole Miss alumni in Mississippi and across the country. For additional information, please visit the For Alumni page.
 

Classes at the University of Mississippi will be canceled for the entire day of September 26, 2008, to accommodate the events surrounding the presidential debate. 

You can register to vote online. Rock the Vote will also be on campus the week of the debate with multiple opportunities to register around campus.