Clear and bright weather greeted the steady stream of voters who headed to the polls this morning in Rockville, where city residents are casting their ballots to elect a mayor and four council members.

After three and a half hours of voting there was only a minor issue with an identity-checking machine at one polling place that was quickly resolved, said City Clerk Claire Funkhouser. City Hall had received no complaints from voters or voting officials. The polls opened at 7 a.m.

"Everything seems to be going well," Funkhouser said. "We've heard very little from the polls."

Same-day voter registration was also available at City Hall, and Funkhouser said 11 people had taken advantage of the service by 10:30 this morning.

When polls opened, mayoral candidate Councilwoman Phyllis R. Marcuccio was the first in line to cast her ballot at the Lincoln Park Community Center.

She predicted a "regular" voter turnout, which is generally less than 10 percent of the population.

"I think my chances are good no matter what the turnout," Marcuccio said. "It's been a real groundswell of community support."

Marcuccio is challenging first-term Mayor Susan R. Hoffmann, who voted at the Rockville Swim Center later this morning.

"It's been very positive for me today," Hoffmann said of her experience when reached at noon. "Turnout is typically light, except at the Swim Center. I think the good weather will encourage turnout, and the higher the turnout the better for me."

Council candidate Trapper Martin voted minutes behind Marcuccio at the Lincoln Park polling site.

He predicted a larger than normal turnout, based on what he sees as increased attention on the race, and added traffic on his Web site has quadrupled in the past week. Concern over the budget motivated Skye Chacón to walk a few blocks from her home in Legacy at Lincoln Park to the polls.

"This is my first chance to vote in Rockville since I moved here," she said. "The budget played into my choices. I voted for people who I thought would have the experience to deal with the issues."

Joseph Bradley and his wife Barbara, both of East Rockville, also voted at the Lincoln Park Community Center and said they voted for different candidates for different reasons.

Barbara Bradley is a strong supporter for Marcuccio, who has been a close friend, while Joseph Bradley said he saw no reason to vote out the current administration.

At the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre at Rockville Civic Center Park, election judges said voter turnout had been steady.

Jeff Taylor of Silver Rock said he was surprised there were not more voters. A teacher on his way to work, Taylor said his profession influenced his choice.

"To me, it's an important election," he said. "One of the candidates has a track record with teaching and some science publications."

Alison Putnam of Twinbrook said controlled growth, traffic and the environment were the issues that brought her to the polls.

"They're my tax dollars and I want to see them used responsibly," she said.

At the Rockville Senior Center, voting judges had processed 87 voters by 9 a.m.

Caroline Conway of Woodley Gardens was one of them, saying she comes out to vote every time there is an election. She called herself "very engaged" in Rockville issues, but one in particular brought her to the polls this morning.

"It comes down to fiscal responsibility for me," she said. "I think Rockville is doing well and I'd like to see [the city] stay on that path."

Gulad Abdi of College Gardens said this is the first time he has voted as a United States citizen. He was eligible to vote for president in the last election, but was deployed in the military and unable to complete an absentee ballot.

He said although he is not an active follower of Rockville politics, the voting process was easy and simple.

At the Rockville Swim Center, several candidates were camped by the door greeting voters.

Carl Henn, Tom Moore, Mark Pierzchala and Martin, as well as volunteers for Bridget Newton and Hoffmann, were handing out literature.

A mixed stream of voters and swimmers filed past as the candidates made their last pitches to voters.

Al and Pat Otranto of Rockville were at the polls to cast their votes in dissent of the council's leadership on Town Center.

"Downtown [Rockville] is a disaster, and will only become a greater disaster as time goes by," Al Otranto said. "Parking will kill downtown. We go to Gaithersburg where parking is free."

Pat Otranto said the mix of shops is not appealing to a wide variety of people.

Diane Tattersall of Plymouth Woods came out to vote for just one reason: opening the gate at Princeton Place to Montgomery College. "It's not just for access to the campus. People also use it to access transportation," Tattersall said.

College officials had erected a fence to keep smokers from leaving campus and heading into nearby neighborhoods after it adopted a no-tobacco policy in August 2008, but the fence caused a backlash among many residents.

Voters have their choice of Hoffmann or Marcuccio for mayor.

For council, Rockville residents can choose four candidates, including incumbent council members John Britton and Piotr Gajewski. The other candidates are Waleed Ovase, Max van Balgooy, Virginia Onley, Newton, Martin, Moore, Henn and Pierzchala.

Polls are open until 8 p.m.