CNN has announced the criteria for candidates to be included in the upcoming debate in Charleston, South Carolina, on January 19 — two days before the state’s first-in-the-South primary:
· A person must place in one of the top four* slots in the final results of the Iowa Caucus.
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· A person must place in one of the top four* slots in the final results of the New Hampshire Primary.
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· A person must receive an average of at least 7.00 percent in at least three national polls released between January 1 and January 18 that were conducted by the following organizations: ABC, AP, Bloomberg, CBS News, New York Times, CNN, FOX, Gallup, Los Angeles Times, Marist, McClatchy, NBC, Newsweek, Pew, Quinnipiac, Reuters, USA Today and Time.
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· A person must receive an average of at least 7.00 percent in at least three South Carolina polls released between January 1 and January 18 that were conducted by the following organizations: ABC, AP, Bloomberg, CBS News, New York Times, CNN, FOX, Gallup, Los Angeles Times, Marist, McClatchy, NBC, Newsweek, Pew, Quinnipiac, Reuters, USA Today and Time.
*A subsequent withdrawal or suspension of a candidate’s campaign will not result in the replacement by the next candidate in line.