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  Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney were favored by 49 percent to 46 percent for Kerry and running mate John Edwards among likely Florida voters surveyed by Quinnipiac University pollsters between last Friday and Tuesday. Independent candidate Ralph Nader received 1 percent, while 4 percent said they were still undecided.

"It comes down to three things," assistant poll director Clay Richards said. "Turnout, turnout and turnout."

Among 16 percent of Florida voters who said they had cast early ballots, Kerry received 56 percent of those compared to Bush's 39 percent. [Editor's Note: NewsMax's Insider Report first revealed early voting results -- Click Here for Info.]

"This puts the pressure on the Bush campaign to get out more votes on Election Day," Richards said.

Quinnipiac surveyed 1,268 Florida registered voters, including 944 who described themselves as likely voters. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Florida's U.S. Senate race mirrored the presidential contest. Republican Mel Martinez was named as the choice of 49 percent of likely voters while Democrat Betty Castor had 46 percent.

"I think it's going to be like this from now until Election Day," Castor said during a campaign stop in Casselberry. "It's a very close race."

Martinez was traveling with first lady Laura Bush and not immediately available to comment on the poll.

In Quinnipiac's Florida poll a week ago, she and Martinez each had 47 percent while in the presidential contest, Bush was favored by 48-47 percent.

"The get-out-the-vote effort that is so critical in the presidential campaign also could decide the Senate race," said Richards.

Another presidential poll also taken Oct. 22-26 had Bush with a slight lead in Florida. The president was favored by 51 percent in a survey by the Los Angeles Times to 43 percent who backed Kerry. Nader and running mate Peter Camejo were supported by 2 percent, while 4 percent in the Times poll said they were undecided. The Times questioned 510 likely votes in its survey with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.

Voters support Bush's handling of the war in Iraq and terrorism in general while they prefer Kerry on the economy and health care, Quinnipiac reported.

Two-fifths said they would vote early in some fashion while 57 percent planned to vote Tuesday at their home precinct.

Twenty-nine percent said the economy most concerned them and 27 percent ranked terrorism as their major concern while the war in Iraq and health care were ranked the top priority by 18 percent of the respondents.

© 2004 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.