Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump and Democratic Vice-President Kamala Harris will meet in their first and perhaps only debate on Tuesday, a clash that could prove pivotal in their pitched battle for the White House.

The ABC News-hosted debate at 9pm ET (6.30am IST on Wednesday) takes place just eight weeks before the Nov. 5 election, with both candidates locked in a tight race that could still easily swing in either direction. Early voting will start in some states just days after the debate.

The encounter is particularly important for Harris, with opinion polls showing that more than a quarter of likely voters feel they do not yet know enough about her, in contrast to the well-known Trump.

The nationally televised debate also offers Harris, a former prosecutor, a chance to make her case against Trump, whose felony convictions, outspoken backing for supporters convicted of the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and frequent falsehoods all offer plenty of fertile ground.

It will be the first time the two candidates have met and follows weeks of personal attacks on Harris by Trump and his allies that have included racist and sexist insults.

Trump’s advisers and fellow Republicans have urged him to focus on Tuesday on illegal immigration and high prices, issues that play well with voters, and portraying Harris as too liberal for the country.