President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney will face off for the second time tonight at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. Romney, almost unanimously ruled the victor of the first round, is expected to duplicate his strong first performance while the president is searching to regain traction and momentum he lost weeks ago.

The stakes couldn't be higher: Obama must get his campaign back on track after a poor performance in the first debate that left Democrats demoralized and Obama's lead evaporating both in national polls and those in key battleground states. For Romney, who polls among voters showed won the first debate overwhelmingly, a second strong performance would boost his momentum going into the third debate next Monday and the final two weeks before Election Day.

The polls have the two polarizing candidates in a dead heat. The Town Hall format used in tonight's debate is expected to shake things up as it has in the past. Coverage begins on television networks at 7:00 PM ET and the debate is scheduled to commence at 9:00 PM ET.