ATLANTA -- Georgians -- some looking to add their voices to a historic Democratic presidential primary contest, and others weighing conservative credentials in a tight Republican race -- headed to polls Tuesday in what some experts forecast would be record-breaking numbers.

In all, residents in Georgia and 23 other states were making their picks for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees on Super Tuesday. Polls in Georgia were to remain open until 7 p.m. Many saw long lines as voting started at 7 a.m. and state officials reported that turnout was high in many counties.

The election was the first statewide in which Georgia required a photo identification of all voters casting their ballots in person. Some sporadic problems were reported, in part because people could not wait out delays caused by the ID checks before they had to head to work. One watchdog group said people were still waiting in lines at midday for more than two hours and the campaign of Democratic candidate Barack Obama said it would consider urging the state to keep some Atlanta-area precincts open late.

Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton were locked in a tight race on the Democratic side and Georgia's large black vote could be key in that contest. Blacks comprise about half the Democratic primary vote here and Obama, who is seeking to become the first black nominee, was hoping to ride a wave of that support, much like he did in South Carolina. Clinton, who would be the first woman nominee, has been showcasing the backing of U.S. Rep. John Lewis, the Atlanta Democrat who became a hero of the civil rights movement.

Carmen Riddel, a 72-year-old retired teacher, affixed an Obama campaign pin to her coat as she left one poll in a wealthy Atlanta neighborhood.

"I wanted to make my vote count. I wanted to take part in this presidential. It's historical in many ways," said Riddel, who is black. "I would have voted for him no matter what race he was. I feel he's so qualified. He's an outstanding person. He wants all the races to get together and he wants to make peace in the world."

Teneca Williams, 21, a black nursing student and restaurant cashier, said she was torn.

"I was in between Obama and Hillary," she said Tuesday morning after voting at an elementary school in Albany. "Both of them seem like they could be good presidents, but it seemed like one has more experience. I considered their accomplishments and their experience. It was Clinton. It was a tough choice."

On the GOP side, Arizona Sen. John McCain, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Texas Congressman Ron Paul were vying for the nod and at least one voter said she sought divine intervention before casting a ballot.

"I just had to pray and pray. I said, 'OK, Lord, you know what's going to happen,"' said Margaret Trussell, a 74-year-old white, retired office worker from McDonough, who ended up voting for Romney.

It was an easier choice for Gloria Faulkner, a Savannah voter who opted for McCain because of his military experience and support for the Iraq War.

"The military needs some help, quick," said Faulkner, a 62-year-old homemaker whose husband spent 27 years in the Air Force. "With McCain being retired from the military and a former prisoner of war, he's had a lot of experience in leading people."

The day was not without some problems at the polls.

The state branch of national election monitoring group Election Protection said some computers being used to verify voters' IDs and registrations crashed, causing long waits. State officials said those problems were isolated and being fixed and that heavy interest in the election was the real reason behind any delays.

"In a presidential election year with highly contested nomination races on both parties, lines are a function of the popularity of the contest," said Matt Carrothers, a state elections spokesman.

Intense interest in the election was easy to spot even before people cast ballots. State voter rolls swelled in the final weeks before the registration deadline and, in all, some 5.2 million Georgians were eligible to vote, more than ever before. Early voting was about five times higher than it was in the Democratic contest in 2004, when nearly 50,000 people either voted in advance or cast absentee ballots.