ATLANTA -- The lengthy lines that greeted voters in metro Atlanta last week yielded today to short waits in most precincts as millions of Georgia residents headed to the polls to cast their ballots.

Still, election protection groups reported receiving more than 1,000 phone calls, and poll workers were bracing for a rush of voters expected to head to the polls after 5 p.m.

Most polling places across metro Atlanta got through the lunch hour crush without any major problems being reported.

Some voters reported waiting in line up to an hour, but the predicted six-hour waits failed to materialize.

Fulton County reported problems with 7-8 voting machines at one precinct. Voters were given provisional ballots, but technicians were able to correct the problem and the machines were up and running by noon, said Mark Henderson, the county’s voter education outreach coordinator.

Henderson said the average wait at Fulton polls was about 90 minutes.

At one polling place in northwest Atlanta on Mitchell St. the wait was just 30 minutes at 10:30 a.m.

The polls opened at 7 a.m. across Georgia and will stay open until 7 p.m.

Election officials in Fulton County decided Monday not to ask federal permission to keep polls open on Election Day until 9 p.m.. They concluded that they have enough voting machines to handle the hundreds of thousands of voters expected to cast ballots.

In Clayton County, plagued by long lines for early voting, election officials are sticking with their game plan. The county's elections director, Annie Bright, says officials will do all they can to ensure those in line by the time the polls close get to vote.

Long early voting lines concerned metro Atlanta registrars.

More than 2 million people -- some 36 percent of Georgia's registered voters -- already have cast their ballots.

Georgia voters are deciding whether Republican John McCain or Democrat Barack Obama will be able claim the state's 15 electoral votes. They'll also decide whether to send Saxby Chambliss back to the U.S. Senate for a second term. He's facing a tougher than-expected challenge from Democrat Jim Martin, a former state lawmaker. Libertarian Allen Buckley is also vying for the seat.

There has been increasing speculation that three-way race could head into a runoff if none of the candidates wins more than 50 percent of the vote. A runoff would take place Dec. 2.

Voting Times Vary In DeKalb

How long people waited to vote in DeKalb County on Election Day depended largely on where they were registered it seemed.

Voter Heidi Cline waited three hours to vote at Whiteford Elementary School. But at Avondale City Hall, it was a different story. Voter Louisa Schlenker said she only waited 20 minutes.

And in Lithonia at Martin Luther King Jr. High School – there was no line in the early afternoon hours.

While the wait times across DeKalb County varied, the enthusiasm did not.

“We think this is probably the most important election of our generation. I’m in my 40s and I can’t think of an election that’s more important for our future and my two kids,” said Cline.

So mere hours meant nothing to the people who see this vote as a milestone in history.

“I’m very excited. This is my first time voting,” said Pamela Oglesby.

DeKalb County stands to see record voter turnout. Early and advance voters helped keep wait times down on Election Day.

“As long as it’s not four, five, six hour wait, then it’s excellent. It’s very excellent,” said Oglesby.

Problem Reported At Atlanta Voting Location

“The computers just went down in the last 10 minutes and I've been out here for three hours," said one voter Tuesday afternoon. "They need to come out here so we can get them going."

As poll workers tried to bring the dead voting machines back to life, the line at Cleveland Avenue Elementary in Atlanta started snaking around the parking lot.

An hour went by with no voting and poll monitors urged those waiting in line to stick it out.

“We’ve got somebody calling the 1-800 number and just stay in line and vote," a poll worker announced to voters.

Few left, but as tempers started to rise, county workers arrived and then a team with the Secretary of State’s office. They determined it was a simple power problem and a long extension cord to feed the dozen machines brought them back to life.

Voting resumed, but monitors with the NAACP planned to ask the county to keep the precinct open longer to handle those who left but planned to come back.

“They cannot cut this off at 7 o'clock, it would be unfair because they've been down for a whole hour," said NAACP Poll Monitor Rev. Benford Stellmacher.

"It has taken a long time just waiting to cast a vote but I'm still going to stand in line regardless," said one voter.

“This is a day that has been long awaited and we're going to wait it out," said Stellmacher.