Republicans in the most recent state poll gave him a 71 percent job approval rating.

Electoral College projections based on state polls also show a dead heat.

If the difference stays near its current level, it will easily be the closest state poll in a presidential election in a century.

For several weeks, Mr. Kerry has been leading in state polls by five or six percentage points.

He quit the federal ministerial post in March 1999 to contest in the state polls.

He arrived there after his New England triumph and had a lead in the state polls.

Its share of the vote went down to about 2 percent from 4.1 percent, another poor showing after bad performances in the other state polls.

A state poll last summer showed that two out of every three Minnesotans regarded him favorably.

As a matter of fact, a lot of state polls are well done.

But, this official said, the same problem did not appear in the state polls, which were far more important and indicated Mr. Kerry was ahead.