(CNN) The candidate lineups for the upcoming Democratic presidential debates in Detroit will be decided by a live, random draw Thursday night during a special edition of Anderson Cooper 360 at 8 p.m. ET on CNN and CNNgo.

The CNN debate brings the Democratic candidates to the battleground state of Michigan, which Trump won in 2016. As the race for the Democratic nomination tightens at the top of the field, the debate offers the presidential hopefuls a chance to make their case to a vast national television audience and engage directly with their opponents.

The debate will come shortly after former special counsel Robert Mueller is expected to testify publicly before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees.

The Democratic National Committee informed 20 candidates Wednesday evening that each had qualified to participate in one of two, party-sanctioned debates airing July 30 and 31 on CNN.

The candidates also learned Wednesday evening the random draw will be split into three parts to determine the lineups for each debate night. CNN and the DNC said they decided to establish three groupings "to ensure support for the candidates is evenly spread across both nights." Public polling was used to decide each grouping, CNN and DNC officials said.

Read More