The race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination is tightening up, according to a new poll that shows a virtual three-way tie between former Vice President Joseph R. Biden and Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernard Sanders.

The poll is sure to be viewed as good news for Ms. Warren and Mr. Sanders - a couple of liberal darlings - and bad news for Mr. Biden, who up until this point in the race has led most national and state polls.

The Monmouth University poll released Monday showed Ms. Warren and Mr. Sanders were the top choices for 20 % of Democratic voters surveyed, and Mr. Biden was the No. 1 pick for 19 % of the respondents.

Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth Polling Institute, said the findings show that the contest has “become volatile.”

“Liberal voters are starting to cast about for a candidate they can identify with,” Mr. Murray said.

“Moderate voters, who have been paying less attention, seem to be expressing doubts about Biden,” he said. “But they are swinging more toward one of the left-leaning contenders with high name recognition rather than toward a lesser known candidate who might be more in line with them politically.”

Mr. Murray said that Mr. Biden has lost support among self-identified moderate and conservative voters who have in many cases swung their support behind Ms. Warren and Mr. Sanders.

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