Numbers show Vance-Walz vice presidential debate could change the course of the election

As Republicans and Democrats gear up for the vice-presidential debate next week, exclusive polling shows that this is an event that has the potential to change everything.

Two thirds of Democrats believe the vice presidential candidates have a significant impact on the overall presidential ticket, according to polling from Prolific for the Independent.

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance is set to debate Democratic VP pick Tim Walz this Tuesday, October 1 at 9pm ET.

Three out of four (75 per cent) Americans are planning to watch the VP debate, according to the poll, which surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,000 participants on the Prolific platform on the 22nd of September.

Vance has said that he “doesn’t have to prepare that much” for his first head-to-head — despite reports to the contrary in The New York Times, which suggested that he will spend several days preparing this week.

Though the VP debate might appear to live in the shadow of this month’s Trump-Harris matchup, the polls suggest that the event will be far from insignificant for many voters.

As to whether debates themselves significantly impact how voters lean, our poll shows that a third (30 per cent) of viewers had a more positive opinion of Harris following the presidential debate earlier this month.

This includes 21 per cent of crucial independent voters, whose opinion of Harris improved.

For Trump, overall, most respondents said their opinion stayed the same, or worsened (14 per cent); including independents.

Just over half of Americans (56 per cent) believe that the vice presidential candidates have a significant impact on the overall ticket. This increases to two thirds (66 per cent) of Democrats, who place high value on the