The Republican National Committee (RNC) has announced significant changes to the qualification criteria for presidential candidates seeking to participate in the party’s second sanctioned debate. Scheduled to take place on September 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, this debate could potentially reshape the primary landscape by narrowing down the number of candidates on the stage.

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According to the new criteria set to be released on Tuesday, candidates vying for a spot in the second debate must meet higher polling thresholds than the previous one. Specifically, they will need to achieve at least 3 percent in two national polls or 3 percent in one national poll and 3 percent in two polls conducted from early nominating states (Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada).

The updated polling requirements surpass those for the first debate, where candidates needed to poll at least 1 percent in three national polls or 1 percent in two national polls and 1 percent in two early-state polls to qualify. Additionally, the RNC will count only polls conducted with large sample sizes and by firms unaffiliated with any of the candidates.

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Moreover, the committee has also raised the fundraising threshold for candidates seeking to participate in the second debate. Each candidate must now have a minimum of 50,000 unique donors, with at least 200 unique donors coming from a minimum of 20 states or territories. This fundraising benchmark must be achieved no later than 48 hours before the debate.

These criteria supersede the requirements for the first debate, where candidates needed 40,000 unique donors with at least 200 unique donors per state or territory in at least 20 states and/or territories to qualify.

The first debate, slated for August 23 in Milwaukee, already has a list of qualified candidates, including former President Donald Trump, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley. Former Vice President Mike Pence and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson met the polling threshold but fell short of the fundraising requirement.

As in the first debate, candidates participating in the second debate will be required to sign several pledges, such as supporting the eventual Republican Party nominee and refraining from participating in non-RNC-sanctioned debates.

The media partner for the second debate is yet to be announced, while the first debate will be broadcast on Fox News Channel. With these new thresholds and requirements, the second Republican primary debate is anticipated to be a defining moment in the 2023 primary season, narrowing down the field and shaping the direction of the race.