October Democratic debate: Will Sanders attend? What are the issues? Here are 4 things you need to know

Savannah Behrmann, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON – The candidates vying for the Democratic nomination will face off Tuesday night during the party’s October primary debate on the biggest stage yet.

Having 12 candidates appearing on one stage together makes Tuesday’s debate the biggest presidential primary debate in recorded political history, The New York Times reports.

Here are four questions answered about Tuesday's democratic debate:

How to watch?

This will be the Democratic National Committee's fourth debate. It will be held at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, by CNN and The New York Times, airing live at 8 p.m. EST.

Viewers can watch the debate on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español, and it can be streamed through both CNN’s and the New York Times' websites.

It will additionally be available across mobile devices via CNN and The New York Timess apps for iOS and Android, via CNNgo apps for Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Chromecast and Android TV; SiriusXM Channels 116, 454, 795, the Westwood One Radio Network and National Public Radio.

CNN's Erin Burnett and Anderson Cooper and the New York Times' Marc Lacey will moderate.

Opinion: Age, health and impeachment: What to watch for in this week's Democratic debate

Who is debating?

The following candidates will appear on stage together in this order:

  • Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii

  • Tom Steyer, billionaire and activist

  • Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey

  • Sen. Kamala Harris of California

  • Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont

  • Former Vice President Joe Biden

  • Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts

  • South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg

  • Andrew Yang, entrepreneur

  • Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas

  • Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota

  • Former HUD Secretary Julián Castro

More: Democratic debate No. 4: What you need to know

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The stage placement represents how candidates are polling. It has become a three-way race leading into the October match-up as Biden, Warren, and Sanders are consistently polling in the top three, and they will be center stage for the second debate in a row.

Gabbard and Steyer are additions to this stage from the September debate, where 10 candidates faced off.

Gabbard also said Monday that she does plan to attend the debate after she had previously considered boycotting what she claimed was "a serious threat to our democracy" by the Democratic National Committee and the media.

Sanders is also planning on appearing after canceling several campaign events following a heart attack and procedure a few weeks ago. The senator had two stents inserted, but recently said that he's "going to get back into the groove of a very vigorous campaign."

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What are the issues?

This will be the first time the top democratic candidates have been together on one stage since the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump was announced in late September by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and that subject could dominate some of the discussion as every candidate has now supported the inquiry.

This comes at the same time Steyer will be looking to make waves during his first appearance on the debate stage, and he has been making the case for impeachment for years.

It may also add pressure to Biden, who has been a consistent front-runner for the nomination, as the inquiry puts his family at the center of the investigation into the president's dealings with Ukraine.

The candidates may also address Trump's decision to pull back U.S. forces from northern Syria. This move potentially enables a resurgence of the Islamic State as Turkey prepares a military assault against Kurdish fighters who helped the U.S. battle the Islamic State. The president faces widespread backlash for "abandoning" a U.S. ally.

Other topics that could dominate the night include gun control and safety, immigration, LGBTQ rights and health care.

More: Democratic debate: Time for 2020 presidential candidates to get real on health care

Who will not be on stage?

For October, candidates needed to reach 2% in at least four recognized polls and receive donations from at least 130,000 individuals.

And despite this being the largest primary debate, there are still a few candidates who will not be gracing the stage.

These include:

  • Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado

  • Montana Gov. Steve Bullock

  • Former Rep. John Delaney of Maryland

  • Miramar, Fla., Mayor Wayne Messam

  • Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan

  • Former Rep. Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania

  • Author and activist Marianne Williamson

The DNC recently released more difficult requirements candidates must meet to qualify for the November debates, setting up the possibility that several additional candidates may miss the stage compared to the October match-up, potentially ending some campaigns.

Contributing: Nicholas Wu, Jeanine Santucci, William Cummings, Aamer Madhani

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Election 2020: four things you need to know for the October debate