Gas prices reach record high for an Election Day

US petrol prices reached their highest level for a congressional Election Day on 3 November 2026. The national average for regular petrol was about $4.15 per US gallon, according to AAA, compared with $3.80 on Election Day in 2022. Diesel averaged $6.29, also an Election Day high. These are prices in dollars at the pump: regular petrol remained below its all-time national peak of just over $5 a gallon in June 2022. Prices had fallen in the preceding week, but were still more than $1 a gallon above their level a year earlier.

The high prices added to voters’ concerns about living costs during the US midterm elections. AAA linked the pressure on fuel prices to volatile oil markets amid the conflict with Iran and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for oil shipments. Seasonal changes in fuel supplies and weaker demand have recently helped bring pump prices down. The Election Day comparison shows the scale of the current cost, but does not by itself establish how fuel prices will affect voting.