The Democratic National Committee raised the stakes for the sixth 2020 presidential debate on Dec. 19 at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, Calif. Politico reports.
Why it matters: The new polling requirements could endanger all but the top five candidates as participants will have to gain support of 4% in at least four DNC-approved national or early-state polls. They can also qualify by hitting 6% in two approved early-state polls.
- Candidates also need donations from at least 200,000 unique donors, with a minimum of 800 donors in 20 states.
The state of play: Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg and Kamala Harris have managed to hit those those thresholds so far, but second-tier candidates could face an uphill battle.
- The cutoff date to make the sixth debate is Dec. 12.
But first: The November debate has nine qualified participants so far — with Julián Castro and Tulsi Gabbard still on the outside looking in.
Go deeper: Here's who has qualified for the November Democratic debate...