Presidential Debate 2012 Live Stream: Where To Watch, Time And Format

You don’t have to be near a television to find out, as there are plenty of options to watch Monday night’s debate via online live stream.

Where to watch the debate online depends on how much of a political junkie you are. Some live stream coverage kicks off an hour before the third debate starts at 9 p.m. EDT from Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla.

For those who want predebate commentary on the Internet, Politico is a good live stream choice. The politics website’s coverage begins at 8:30 p.m. EDT with analysis from Politico reporters. Check out Politico’s stream here, which also features post-debate coverage.

Another option is YouTube's Politics Hub. YouTube is offering several choices for predebate coverage, with users being able to select from Al-Jazeera, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and Univision. All of those outlets start their coverage at 8:30 p.m. EDT. If you want to get an early start on a debate preview, the Politics Hub is featuring such coverage from ABC News at 12 p.m. EDT. ABC is also starting its debate preshow at 8 p.m. EDT via YouTube.

If instant fact-checking appeals to you, head to the Washington Post. For the third and final 2012 presidential debate, the newspaper's reporters will be fact-checking Obama’s and Romney’s responses in real time. Debate watchers can also weigh in on what they’re watching by leaving comments on the Post’s website.

Also boasting interactive features is Microsoft, which is streaming the debate for Xbox 360 owners. Those with an Xbox 360 console can watch the debate on their gaming system and take part in an interactive poll. Check out this link to get ready for tonight’s debate.

Livestream.com is another option for watching the debate online. You can find the link here, with coverage beginning at 9 p.m.

The debate commission is also providing voters with live stream through AOL, YouTube and Yahoo.

Television networks are providing live stream coverage as well. CBS has debate coverage online here, C-SPAN’s can be found here (coverage starts at 7 p.m. EDT,) Fox News’ live stream is here and Univision’s live stream is here.

The third and final presidential debate will be moderated by Bob Schieffer, who serves in that role as host of CBS' “Face The Nation.”

The final debate’s format is a combination of the prior two debates, held Oct. 3 at the University of Denver and Oct. 16 at Hofstra University.

The third debate’s format is identical to the first, in which Obama and Romney were asked questions by a moderator.

The substance of the debate will be different, as it will focus on foreign policy while the first face-off only addressed domestic issues. This is where the final debate has similarities to the second contest, when the candidates were pressed on both domestic and foreign issues facing the country.