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Here's How To Stream Clinton And Trump's Face-Off

by Morgan Brinlee

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump will face off Sept. 26 in the first of three presidential debates. It's a political matchup you won't want to miss given both candidates' record high unpopularity and, dare I say, utter contempt for each other. No TV? No problem. You can stream the first presidential debate online for free, giving you no excuse not to tune in for what could be the biggest political rumble of the 2016 election.

NBC Nightly News Anchor Lester Holt will moderate the first presidential debate of the election season at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. If you're curious, Hofstra has a website set up to provide details and insight into its debate preparations. As the debate's sole moderator, Holt will divide the 90-minute debate into six segments, selecting a major topic for the Democratic and Republican nominees to cover in each 15-minute segment.

Like the two that will follow it, the first presidential debate will air from 9:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET with no commercial breaks, so prepare your snacks in advance. While every major news network and most of the major cable news broadcasters are scheduled to air the debate, there's an easy way for anyone without access to a television to still tune in. The debate will be live-streamed on YouTube and will also likely be available for streaming on ABC News, CBS News, and NBC, among others.

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If you want a totally new look at the presidential debates, Snapchat and Facebook Live have got you covered. According to PC Magazine, Facebook will be working with Hofstra University students and members of the media to broadcast the debate — along with an interactive feature that allows viewers to follow conversations about the candidates and issues as they unfold on the social media platform — using Facebook Live. Snapchat aims to take users "behind the scenes" of the debate by aggregating photos from university students and media members into a Live Story, according to Silicon Valley Business Journal.

Third-party candidates Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party and Jill Stein of the Green Party failed to meet the 15 percent national electorate threshold of support in five predetermined polls required to qualify for the first general election debate. While their presence will be missed, I'm sure Clinton and Trump will have more than enough to say to fill the debate's full 90 minutes without their help.