To attend the first 2020 presidential debate, audience members must have an invitation, wear a face mask, prove they tested negative for COVID-19, and go through multiple Secret Service security checkpoints.
The debate will be held inside the atrium of the Cleveland Clinic's Samson Pavilion, with chairs blocked off between groups and extra space between rows. Only 80 to 100 people are expected to sit in the audience, NBC News reports, and they all must get tested for COVID-19 at an on-site rapid testing center. Those who test negative are given wristbands, which are necessary for admittance.
Attendees must also go through two Secret Service security checks — one at the perimeter of the Cleveland Clinic campus and another at the entrance to the atrium. While there won't be very many people in the audience, there are already dozens of protesters gathered outside of the debate venue, with many holding up "Black Lives Matter" signs.
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