While Tuesday’s primary elections feature heated races for key state offices, many local candidates are running uncontested.

Polls will open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Coles County Clerk Betty Coffrin urged any voter who does not know where his or her polling place is to contact her office at 348-0501.

In the governor’s race, called one of the most contentious in years, three democrats and three republicans are vying for their party’s nomination.

Former Attorney General Roland Burris, U.S. Representative Rod Blagojevich, and former Chicago schools chief Paul Vallas are the democratic candidates, while state Sen. Patrick O’Malley, Attorney General Jim Ryan and Lt. Governor Corinne Wood are the G.O.P. gubernatorial candidates.

In the lieutenant governor race, economic consultant Michael Kelleher, former state treasurer Pat Quinn and health-care consultant Joyce Washington are competing for the democratic nomination, while state Senator Carl Hawkinson, former commodities broker Jack McInerney, state Representative William O’Connor and pharmacy owner Charles Owens are on the Republican ballot.

Three republicans – attorney John Cox, dairy owner and money manager James Oberweis and State Rep. Jim Durkin – are running for the chance to unseat U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, who is running in the democratic primaries unopposed.

Locally, Republicans Tim Johnson and Dale Righter are running unopposed for U.S. Representative and state senator, respectively. There are no democrats running for either position.

There are four G.O.P. candidates for state representative from the 110th District- Lynda Warfel Fishel, Ronald Hunt, Chapin Rose and Gerald Smith. One democrat, John Hayden, is also running for the office.

Coffrin said that primary elections have a traditionally low turnout.

“And student precinct (turnouts) are even lower than general precincts,” she added.

Coffrin said she had “not a clue” why the student turnouts were so low.

Eastern’s campus is covered by three precincts. Voters in the 15th precinct, which includes Lincoln, Stevenson and Douglas Halls and married student housing, can vote in the Wesley Foundation, 2204 4th St. Voters in the 16th precinct, which includes most of the other residence halls, can vote in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union. The polling place for the 17th precinct, which includes Greek Court and Carman Hall, is located in the Carman Hall lobby.

Coffrin said she is prepared for a 100 percent turnout.

“We have to gear for every registered voter,” she said.