Bush's lead of eight percentage points before last Thursday's debate evaporated in the survey taken last Friday through Sunday.

Support among likely voters for Bush and Kerry was tied at 49 percent with independent candidate Ralph Nader taking one percent.

As it enters its final month -- the election is set for Nov. 2 -- the presidential campaign is essentially where it began: too close to call.

"This is an even-up race that's going to be decided by everything that happens in the next 30 days," a USA Today report quoted Mark Mellman, Kerry's pollster, as saying.

Matthew Dowd, chief strategist for the Bush campaign, called the dead heat no surprise.

"We always said this race would be tight -- when we were up andwhen we were down," he said.

The first debate drew a TV audience of at least 62.5 million, the report said, and Kerry was judged the winner by more than two-to-one, 57 percent to 25 percent.

Kerry reclaimed an advantage on the economy in the poll, leading Bush 51 percent to 44 percent. Before the debate, Bush was preferred on the issue for the first time, leading Kerry by six percentage points, 51 percent to 45 percent.

Bush's 14 percentage point advantage on handling Iraq was cut in half, dropping from 55 percent to 51 percent, while support for Kerry on the issue edged up from 41 percent to 44 percent.

On terrorism, Bush continued to hold a big advantage, leading Kerry 56 percent to 39 percent, though the gap was narrowed to 17 percentage points from the 27 percentage point lead Bush held on Sept. 26.

Bush and Kerry will meet face to face in their second presidential debate on Friday.