SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Several dozen citizens plan to protest outside a local television station tonight for airing a gubernatorial debate that excludes three of the five people running for governor.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo will debate Republican challenger Marc Molinaro at 7 p.m. tonight. The debate was organized and hosted by WCBS in New York City. It will be televised locally on CW6, which is a part CBS's local affiliate, CNY Central.

Supporters of Libertarian Party candidate Larry Sharpe organized a "debate exclusion protest" outside the CNY Central headquarters on James Street in Syracuse to show their displeasure with the terms of the debate.

Sharpe is one of three minor-party candidates running for governor. Former Syracuse mayor Stephanie Miner is running with the Serve America Movement and Syracuse resident Howie Hawkins is running with the Green Party.

Each has chafed at being excluded from tonight's debate. The minor-party candidates have also urged Cuomo and Molinaro to participate in other debates, like one being arranged by the League of Women Voters.

Shawn Hannon, chair of the Onondaga County Libertarian Party, said he's expecting 25 to 30 people at tonight's protest, even with bad weather.

"It isn't necessarily a Libertarian protest. It is -- in hopes -- an all-minor-party event," Hannon said. "I have my own interest in the race, but I'm protesting the idea that it's an illegitimate debate and the majority of candidates weren't even invited to it."

The protest is expected to begin around 6 p.m.

Sean Carroll, news director for CNY Central, said the station was informed of the debate Monday by its partners at CBS. The station decided to air it on CW6 and stream it live online and on Facebook.

"The decision about who was to be included or excluded from this debate was not ours, as it is not produced locally," Carroll added. "Broadcasting this debate will serve to inform the community and we will always lean towards disseminating information over withholding information."

Hannon said he's reached out to Hawkins' supporters and expects some of them to attend the protest as well.

Hawkins has been challenging Cuomo to debate for weeks. He ran into the governor recently and agreed to organize a series of debate. He has proposed four regional debates across the state.

Hawkins said last week he would agree to a debate hosted by the League of Women Voters, regardless of who shows up.

"The League is viewed as the gold standard for holding debates. It is time for Cuomo and Molinaro to stop their political gamesmanship and show up to give the voters' the opportunity to hear all the candidates for governor discuss their ideas about how to make our state better," Hawkins said.

Miner said the lone debate especially hurts upstate voters, whose interests typically aren't represented in debates in New York City.

"A single debate without all the candidates hurts democracy," Miner said in a statement responding to Monday's debate announcement. "New Yorkers deserve better."

In a poll from Siena College released Oct. 1, Cuomo led Molinaro by a margin of 50 percent to 28 percent. Cynthia Nixon -- who lost to Cuomo in a Democratic primary and is no longer on the ballot -- had 10 percent of the vote.

Sharpe polled at 2 percent while Miner and Hawkins polled at 1 percent. Each was unknown to a majority of voters.