The first major presidential debates took place in the 1960 election between John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Richard Nixon. A 16-year period followed in which there were no public presidential debates, until the League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF) sponsored three presidential debates in 1976.

The League continued to sponsor the presidential and vice presidential debates every four years through the 1984 elections. Following that election cycle, the Democratic and Republican national parties came together in a decision to move sponsorship of the debates under the purview of the political parties.

Between 1985 and 1987, the League challenged this move and sparked widespread public debate on the matter. The LWVEF argued that a change in sponsorship, which put control of the debate format in the hands of the two dominant parties, would deprive voters of one of the only chances they have to see the candidates outside of their controlled campaign environment.

In 1987, the parties announced the creation of the Commission on Presidential Debates. The Commission chose LWVEF to sponsor the last presidential debate of 1988, but placed so many rules and restrictions on the potential format of the debate that the LWVEF decided not to participate.