So far, 19 candidates have qualified to be in the first debate next month, creating a situation where most of them are unlikely to get much airtime. For that debate, the committee agreed to evenly and randomly divide top-tier candidates across two nights in order to maintain viewer interest. The third debate will be shown by ABC News, in partnership with Univision, and will be held on two consecutive nights — Sept. 12 and 13. Currently, only about eight candidates consistently reach 2 percent in the polls. Party officials say the additional two months of campaigning, combined with appearances in the heavily promoted summer debates, could lead to more candidates reaching the new threshold.

Source: New York Times May 29, 2019 09:31 UTC