Tuesday’s presidential debate in Philadelphia is an opportunity for swing-state voters to hear Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump define their policy platforms on the national stage.

WHYY News political reporter Carmen Russell-Sluchansky covered the debate and previewed it with WHYY “Morning Edition” host Jennifer Lynn.

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CR: Good morning, Jennifer.

JL: The site of the debate, the National Constitution Center, is located within a security perimeter that now surrounds several blocks, including WHYY and parts of Independence Mall. Access is very restricted. So Carmen, who will actually be at the Constitution Center tonight?

CR: Well, the candidates, of course, and some staff and Secret Service, but there will be no audience, and the media will be very limited. Most of the media will be at the convention center, several blocks away.

JL: And will there be other important people present during the debate that you can talk to?

CR: There will be a lot of campaign representatives, including members of Congress and others. And some are already here, like Wes Moore, the governor of Maryland, a Democrat, who I saw at a press conference yesterday. He emphasized that Harris’ main job will be to motivate Democrats.

Wes Moore: This election will be determined by the people who vote and the people who don’t vote. I think she will be able to clearly articulate and communicate why it is so important that people are involved in this process. I think one of the biggest dangers we see with the former president is that she creates so much noise and chaos that it increases people’s skepticism of the system.

CR: So Moore said he expected former President Donald Trump to show some incitement.

JL: And what would be the Democrats’ strategy to counteract this?

CR: Well, I was able to speak with State Senator Sharif St., who currently serves as chairman of the Pennsylvania Democrats. He told me he expects Harris to focus on policy.

Sharif Street: Look, I think Donald Trump will be Donald Trump. I think Kamala Harris will present her vision for America. I think she will not engage in Donald Trump’s theatrics. I think she will stay focused. Let’s keep talking about her vision for America.

JL: OK. And what do Republicans want to take away from this debate, Carmen?

CR: The Republicans I’ve spoken to expect their nominee to effectively engage Harris on policy decisions that she has, shall we say, evolved since running in 2020. They are Jim Worthington of Bucks County, who has generously supported Trump’s campaign and other Republican causes.

Jim Worthington: She made a certain statement then and now she’s trying to be more moderate. I don’t think anyone will believe that. So they’re going to ask her directly how she stands on all these different issues like immigration, the borders, defunding the police, Israel… many other issues, fracking, there are so many things she’s changed her mind on.

JL: I mean, has she changed her mind on so many things? We heard about the fracking scandal.

CR: Well, there are some things where it has evolved. When I was talking to Jim Worthington, I asked him the question: Are politicians allowed to change their minds? And he said… evolving means talking about it when you’re vice president, not when you’re running for president.

JL: Who is undecided at this point and will this debate help anyone secure their vote? Or is it really as Governor Moore said that the election will be decided by the candidate who gets voters to the polls?

CR: Well, turnout will play a big role, and there aren’t that many undecided voters, but they’re out there and could have an impact given how close the race in Pennsylvania seems to be getting. I spoke to a woman named Ileen Fink who said she’s still undecided. She feels like none of the candidates are addressing the issues she cares about most, particularly the environment and health care.

Ileen Fink: When Hillary ran against Trump years ago, I was for a completely different party, environmental, independence or something like that, because I wasn’t for either. But I think we’ll see what the debate reveals.

JL: Carmen, is she voting for Trump?

CR: She won’t vote for Trump, but she hasn’t decided on Harris yet.

JL: I heard there were protests planned as well. They’re planned for tonight. I suspect there will be an anti-war rally.

CR: Yes, the Philly Palestine Coalition is organizing a protest outside the Constitution Center, but there will also be a pro-Trump rally and an anti-abortion rally. Honestly, I’m not sure exactly where they plan to gather, given all the street closures, but our news department will be covering it, and we’ll be at some rallies around the city as well.

JL: Excellent. Thank you. It was nice having you here this morning.

CR: You’re welcome, Jennifer.