FRANKLIN—Voters will head to the polls to decide a tight, three-way race for the Democratic nomination for governor on Tuesday.

The primary is open to all registered voters. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Franklin, Southampton County and Isle of Wight County.

“I expect Tuesday will be an easy day; we’re not expecting a big turnout,” said Franklin Voter Registrar Sandy Holloman. “Primaries historically have a low turnout.”

Lisa Betterton, the general registrar for Isle of Wight County, agreed.

“It probably won’t be a high turnout, but we could be surprised,” Betterton said, citing last year’s Democratic presidential primary as an example. “We’ll be ready no matter how many people come to vote.”

Three candidates — Creigh Deeds, Terry McAuliffe and Brian Moran — are in a horse race to win the Democratic nomination for governor.

Deeds is a resident of Bath County and the state senator for the 25th District. He is also a former Bath County prosecutor and member of the House of Delegates, where he represented the 18th District.

McAuliffe is a businessman from Fairfax County and a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Moran is a former Arlington County prosecutor and former member of the House of Delegates, representing the 46th District.

Tuesday’s primary winner will go against Republican Bob McDonnell in the general election Nov. 3. McDonnell is a former member of the House of Delegates, representing the 84th District and a former state attorney general.

Voters will also choose between two candidates, Michael Signer and Jody Wagner, who are vying to become the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor.

The winner of the Signer-Wagner race will face Republican incumbent Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling on Nov. 3. Bolling has been in office since 2006.

A third candidate for lieutenant governor, Jon Bowerbank, withdrew from the race on May 18 and endorsed Wagner. Holloman said Bowerbank’s name will still appear on Tuesday’s ballot because he withdrew after the ballots were printed. Signs will be erected in polling places to alert voters that he withdrew, she said.