November is still months away, but many voters across the U.S. are going to get their first taste of the presidential election Thursday evening as President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump participate in the first debate of the general election cycle.

The debate, which will be moderated by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, is the first time the two candidates will face each other since their debates ahead of the 2020 election.

A slew of topics are likely to be covered, giving voters a glimpse into each candidate’s platform. Here are some Michigan-centric topics we’re keeping an eye out for:

The everlasting debate on electric vehicles

Electric vehicles are becoming a common sight on roads throughout the country — it’s not even rare to see charging stations in grocery store parking lots or some parking garages. In Michigan, the Detroit Three automakers have all established targets for EV sales and production for their respective fleets.

Biden’s administration has embraced a transition to electrifying the automotive industry, setting a goal of having half of all car sales in the U.S. be EVs by 2030. The White House also touts more charging stations becoming available and says the U.S. is on track to have 500,000 stations by 2026. EVs also produce fewer emissions than gasoline cars, a key factor in Biden’s climate goals.

Trump, however, has criticized Biden for his embrace of electric vehicles. Trump argues electric vehicles are more expensive than their gasoline counterparts. He also has said, including during a recent visit to Detroit, that electric cars aren’t as popular or reliable as gas-powered rides and a transition to electric vehicles will hurt the automotive industry.

The debate over EVs is likely to spill onto the presidential debate floor Thursday as well.

Trump derided absentee voting in 2020, but is embracing it in 2024

In the wake of the 2020 election, Trump denigrated Detroit — calling the city “corrupt” and falsely claiming there were more votes than voters in Detroit. He also blasted the vote-counting process inside Huntington Place (then called TCF Center, formerly Cobo Hall) where election workers counted absentee ballots. 

Leading up to the 2020 election, Trump urged supporters to vote in person at their polling places, but his campaign has done a 180 ahead of this fall’s election — Trump is calling on supporters to take advantage of absentee ballots, launching a program called “Swamp the Vote USA.”

Biden’s campaign has repeatedly hammered Trump for denying the legitimacy of the 2020 election. It has also highlighted Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. There’s a distinct possibility Biden takes aim at Trump’s claims about the 2020 election during the debate as well.

Biden’s focus on abortion access in the states

In 2022, abortion access was a winning issue in Michigan when voters approved a ballot measure enshrining reproductive freedom in the state’s constitution and reelected Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who made abortion access a hallmark of her campaign. Earlier that year, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, which, for decade,s protected abortion access at the federal level.

Biden’s campaign wants to make abortion access a central theme of this year’s election, as well. The campaign has highlighted instances in states that have either instituted abortion restrictions or have had dormant abortion bans take effect, since Roe’s reversal.

Trump has hammered Biden on border, including in Michigan

Trump appeared in Grand Rapids in April, saying Biden’s handling of the U.S. Southern border with Mexico “has brought the carnage and chaos and killings from all over the world and dumped it straight into our backyards.” In Grand Rapids, he highlighted the killing of Ruby Garcia, a 25-year-old Grand Rapids woman who was found dead in late March. Authorities charged Brandon Ortiz-Vite with felony murder and open murder, among other charges. Trump’s campaign noted Ortiz-Vite was in the U.S. illegally after being deported in 2020, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Police previously said the two were dating.

While U.S. Customs and Border Protection has reported fewer enforcement encounters at the Southern border in recent months compared with a spike late last year, it’s likely Trump continues to bring up Biden’s immigration record during the debate.

How to watch the first 2024 presidential debate

• Who: President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump

• What: First presidential debate

• When: Thursday, June 27, 9 p.m.

• Where: CNN’s Atlanta studio

• How to watch: CNN, USA Today’s YouTube channel 

Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: As Biden and Trump debate, here’s how Michigan could factor in