Trump and Biden Agree to 2 Debates. Here’s What to Know.

President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump have agreed to debate at least twice before the election, though their plans upend the traditional structure of presidential debates.

The first debate will take place much earlier than has been typical, and so far, neither will involve the commission that has been hosting presidential debates since 1988.

Here’s what to know:

When will the debates be held?

The two candidates agreed to a June 27 date for the first debate, which CNN will host in its Atlanta studios.

By then, Mr. Biden will have returned from the Group of 7 summit meetings with other heads of state in Italy, and Mr. Trump’s hush-money trial in New York should be over.

Both rivals also committed to a Sept. 10 debate hosted by ABC News.

Mr. Biden’s team is seeking to wrap up the debates around the beginning of September when early voting begins, a departure from the longstanding debate calendar that had major-party candidates facing each other in late September and October.

His campaign suggested that holding debates earlier would give voters the chance to size up the candidates before early ballots are cast, and allow the nominees to focus on campaigning in the final weeks of the race.