Presidential debate moving from Michigan to Florida

The second presidential debate, originally scheduled at the University of Michigan in October, will now be held in Miami, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced Tuesday.

The relocation of the debate comes after university President Mark Schlissel wrote to the commission, explaining to them that hosting the debate would hinder the university’s ability to welcome its students back to campus in the fall amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“Given the scale and complexity of the work we are undertaking to help assure a safe and healthy fall for our students, faculty and staff and limited visitors — and in consideration of the public health guidelines in our state as well as advice from our own experts — we feel it is not feasible for us to safely host the presidential debate as planned,” Schlissel wrote.

The presidential debate is still scheduled for Oct. 15 and will now be held at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami.

The two other presidential debates — Sept. 29 at the University of Notre Dame, Ind., and Oct. 22 at Belmont University, Tenn., — are still slated to happen as planned.

There will be one vice presidential debate on Oct. 7 hosted by the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

News of the debate location change follows a swath of new polling that shows former Vice President Joe Biden building up steam against President Trump ahead of the November general election. 

A poll national released Tuesday showed Biden doubled his lead over Trump to 12 points as voters expressed their disapproval with the administrations handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the protests over racial injustice and the death of George Floyd.  

Another recent poll showed Biden making significant headway in Michigan and opening up a double-digit lead over the incumbent. Michigan is a critical swing state for a presidential victory.