Twenty Democratic candidates for president will be in Detroit on Tuesday, July 30, and Wednesday, July 31, to debate, with each trying to score points at the others' expense and pump their own standing in the polls and fundraising.

CNN is hosting and televising the event.

Michigan and Detroit issues will almost certainly be front and center: If in the first debates last month in Miami, several candidates underscored their fluency speaking Spanish, don't be surprised if there's lots of references here to the Great Lakes, urban issues and, of course, auto making.

But it won't all be about Michigan: These candidates are going on the hunt for memorable moments on whatever issue they can, and expect those hurting in the polls and fundraising totals to go after the front-runners in order to shine.

Here's a guide to the Detroit debates:

When are the Democratic debates?

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 30, and 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 31

Where: Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit

The debates will last for two hours, but if you're driving downtown, expect traffic tie-ups well before and after the event.

Can I attend either Democratic debate?

It's unlikely. Most of the seating is expected to be filled by tickets given to the state Democratic Party, local elected officials and officials with various organizations, campaigns, unions, and other parties. However, the Fox is a big place, seating slightly more than 5,000 people, and it's possible seats could be available. Try at https://bit.ly/2YaqK7S if you're are interested in attending. Tickets are free if you get one.

Can I submit a question to be asked?

No, but you can tell CNN which is the topmost issue you'd like to hear discussed. Go to CNN's website at https://cnn.it/2YdGlCQ and submit your choice.

Where can I watch the Democratic debates?

Through an agreement with the Democratic National Committee, CNN has exclusive rights to both nights of the debates and if you want to watch, you'll have to watch there. They will be aired both nights beginning at 8 p.m. — with no doubt some sort of wind-up beforehand — on CNN and CNN en Español. If you don't have cable or a streaming service that provides CNN, you're not necessarily out of luck: It will be streamed live on CNN.com for free and without requiring a cable provider login.

More:Jennifer Granholm, Grant Hill featured in CNN forum ahead of Detroit Democratic debates

Can I watch the Democratic debates on local broadcast TV?

No. But it's likely they'll be covering what's happening inside and outside the Fox before and after the debate, as will the Free Press.

What sort of coverage is the Free Press providing?

We'll have stories leading up to each day of the debates and coverage inside and outside during and after each, including reports from the spin room afterward — the site where the campaigns and the candidates come to try to push their take on how the night went. In addition:

Look for expert analysis

Winners and losers

Best and worst moments

What's next?

Macomb as a bellwether county

What's on voters' minds?

Candidate statements fact-checked in real time

Keep an eye on freep.com throughout.

How are 20 people going to debate? Isn't that too many?

Way too many: You'd need a stage from here to Windsor. So, as with the first debates last month in Miami, the participants are being split 10 to a night.

Ten is still a lot, of course, but it's a lot more manageable than 20. Also: This is likely to be the last debate where so many candidates qualify to take part, with even stricter guidelines to be put in place for the next debate or debates in September.

Believe it or not, there could have been even more, since there are about two dozen serious Democratic candidates.

What's the Democratic debate lineup?

Here are the lineups:

Tuesday, July 30

• Bernie Sanders, U.S. senator from Vermont

• Elizabeth Warren, U.S. senator from Massachusetts

• Pete Buttigieg, South Bend, Ind., mayor

• Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. representative from Texas

• Amy Klobuchar, U.S. senator from Minnesota

• Steve Bullock, Montana governor

• John Delaney, former U.S. representative from Maryland

• John Hickenlooper, former Colorado governor

• Tim Ryan, U.S. representative from Ohio

• Marianne Williamson, author

Wednesday, July 31

• Joe Biden, former U.S. vice-president

• Kamala Harris, U.S. senator from California

• Julian Castro, former Housing and Urban Development secretary

• Andrew Yang, businessman

• Cory Booker, U.S. senator from New Jersey

• Michael Bennet, U.S. senator from Colorado

• Bill de Blasio, New York City mayor

• Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. representative from Hawaii

• Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. senator from New York

• Jay Inslee, Washington state governor

How was this Democratic debate lineup determined?

Some time ago, the DNC settled on the following criteria for candidates in order to make the debate: At least 1% support in three qualifying public opinion polls; 65,000 or more unique donors to their campaign with a minimum of 200 donors per state in at least 20 states, or both. Those doing better on those criteria were slotted into the debate up to the 20-candidate limit.

As for the selection of who would debate each night: Unlike in Miami, when Warren was the only of the four presumed front-runners on the stage the first night, and Biden, Sanders and Harris were all on night two, CNN held a random draw that assured that two of the top four would be on each night, as well as three of the next six in terms of their place in the polls each night.

Who won't get to debate either night?

Billionaire hedge fund manager Tom Steyer, a late entry in the presidential race, won't be part of the debates. Neither will U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, former U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania or Miramar, Fla., Mayor Wayne Messam. California Rep. Eric Swalwell, who was on the stage in Miami, dropped out of the race and is the only person who was in those debates who won't be in these. Montana Gov. Steve Bullock is taking Swalwell's place.

What will be the Democratic debate format?

According to CNN, candidates will be given time for both an opening and a closing statement. When a moderator asks a direct question of a candidate, he or she will have a minute to respond. Other comments or rebuttals will be limited to 30 seconds. As anyone watching debates knows, however, these are guidelines: The candidates will absolutely try to get as much time as they can. Any candidate targeted by another candidate as part of his or her response will be given 30 seconds to respond.

The moderators will use colored lights to tell the candidates how much time they have left: A yellow light means 15 seconds left; flashing red means 5 seconds; solid red means there is no time remaining.

CNN also says that there will be no "show of hands or one-word, down-the-line questions" for the candidates and that anyone who "consistently interrupts will have his or her time reduced."

Finally, while many of the questions may be on similar topics from night to night, the questions themselves are expected to be different because CNN doesn't want the second night candidates to have an advantage over the first night ones.

Who is moderating the Democratic debate?

CNN's Dana Bash, Don Lemon and Jake Tapper will serve as moderators for the debates.

What issues will be debated?

It could be anything but it's safe to say that health care, education, immigration and border security will all come up. And President Donald Trump: Expect him to come up a lot. That's especially true because of the controversy he has riled up with a racist tweet telling four Democratic members of Congress to "go back" to the countries they are from. All are women of color who are U.S. citizens and three of them were born in the U.S., including U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Detroit.

What are the Democratic debate key matchups?

On the first night, everyone will be watching to see how Sanders and Warren go after each other, if they do. Their platforms are similar and both are considered standard bearers for the Democratic left. In other words: They are trying to woo the same voters and this gives each a chance to separate himself or herself from the other.

That first night, however, also includes two candidates perceived as more moderate — Buttigieg and O'Rourke — and it could provide them a chance to show a sharp contrast with Sanders and Warren if they take it. Buttigieg has been enjoying a rise in popularity though it has leveled off somewhat; O'Rourke could be looking for something that would boost a campaign that isn't getting the headlines it had.

Read more:

In the era of Trump, Michigan's political map is changing. Here's how

As for the second night, the marquee matchup will be between Biden — who still leads most polls — and Harris. In Miami, Harris, a former prosecutor and California attorney general, scored tons of points by going after Biden on busing and his comments on having worked with segregationists while in the Senate. Biden was criticized as seeming unprepared for the debate attack and showing a sluggish response. If she goes after him again, his reaction will be closely gauged.

Meanwhile, expect several others on the second night — Castro, de Blasio, Gillibrand and others — to attempt to insert themselves forcefully into questions as they did during the first debates in Miami. All are looking for a boost. And so is Booker, who, especially with Harris and Biden, will have an eye toward tapping into black support in Detroit and Flint and in urban areas across the country.

Contact Todd Spangler attspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@tsspangler. Read more onMichigan politics and sign up for ourelections newsletter.