Both presidential candidates are gearing up for an historic second round of presidential debates in their unprecedented electoral refrain, and for the first time in decades, the debates will be held outside of established guidelines and with very new rules.

The Commission on Presidential Debates is not organizing this year’s pair of arguments, as they traditionally would.  The meetings were instead organized after months of former President Donald Trump saying he would debate “anytime, anywhere” and President Joe Biden answering with his own challenge for Trump to “make my day, pal.”

Biden issued a pair of debate challenges that Trump was quick to accept, the first of which is scheduled to air live on CNN this Thursday at 9 p.m. CNN anchors Dana Bash and Jake Tapper will moderate.

Both candidates’ respective campaigns agreed to the debate rules laid out by CNN.

The most obvious difference between this and what most Americans may consider a traditional presidential debate will be the lack of a studio audience. During debates in 2020, the audience interrupted proceedings with applause or cheers several times.

The debate will stretch on for 90 minutes, including two commercial breaks, and both candidates’ microphone will be muted while the other is speaking, to prevent cross-talk. This was the case in one of the two debates held in 2020, when during the second meeting a comparatively measured Trump seemed to hold his own against then candidate Biden better than when he had with an audience.

Candidates are not allowed to bring notes to the podium, or interact with campaign staff, but will have access to a notepad and pen and a bottle of water.

After winning a coin flip and given the choice between the last word and or getting to pick a podium, the Biden campaign went with the podium on the right, giving Trump the last chance to speak.

The debate is historic in that it is the first to feature a pair of presidents. It’s also the first debate for either candidate this cycle, after Trump skipped all of his party’s primary debates and Biden never faced a serious challenger from the left.

To make the stage, candidates must be constitutionally qualified to serve as president, appear on enough ballots to secure 270 electoral votes, and receive 15% support in four separate national polls conducted by ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, Marquette University Law School, Monmouth University, NBC News, New York Times/Siena College, NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist College, Quinnipiac University, the Wall Street Journal, or the Washington Post.

Only Trump and Biden qualified, though they are not the only candidates that will appear on statewide ballots this year. Independents Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West, as well as the Green Party’s Jill Stein, failed to meet the debate criteria.