Gas Averages $4.15 on Election Day, a Midterm Record in Dollar Terms

Election Day at the pump

November 3, 2026 · 3:18 p.m. Central

The national average price of regular gasoline was $4.15 a gallon on Tuesday, the highest recorded for a congressional Election Day in dollar terms, according to AAA. Diesel averaged $6.29 a gallon, also a high for a congressional Election Day.

On the 2022 midterm Election Day, regular gas averaged $3.80 and diesel $5.35, AAA said. Those comparisons use the prices at the time and are not adjusted for inflation; they do not establish that fuel is the least affordable it has ever been.

The national average is a snapshot, not the price at every station. At $4.15 a gallon, 15 gallons would cost $62.25; at $3.80, the same amount would cost $57, a difference of $5.25.

Below the overall peaks

Election Day records are a narrower comparison than all-time highs. AAA put the highest recorded national regular-gas average at about $5.02 a gallon on June 14, 2022. Its diesel record was about $6.53 on September 22, 2026.

Gas prices have eased recently even as they remain above last year’s level. AAA’s national price tracker showed regular gasoline at about $4.27 a week earlier, $4.38 a month earlier and $3.04 a year earlier. The figures are rounded to the nearest cent and can change as the tracker updates.

Prices vary widely by location. In its Tuesday release, AAA put California’s average at $5.89 and North Carolina’s at $3.38.

What is affecting prices

AAA attributed recent declines in part to seasonal changes, including a switch to winter-blend gasoline, easing refinery maintenance and softer demand. It also cited disruptions connected to the Iran war and shipping as factors behind elevated prices earlier in the year. Fuel prices reflect several forces, and the national average alone cannot show how any one factor affected a particular station.

Other price trackers use different data and methods; The Daily Beast also reported on elevated Election Day prices using figures from GasBuddy. The figures in this article use AAA’s series so the comparisons remain consistent.

Key dates

1. June 14, 2022 — AAA’s all-time national regular-gas average reached about $5.02.
2. November 8, 2022 — Regular gas averaged $3.80 on the previous congressional Election Day, according to AAA.
3. September 22, 2026 — The national diesel average reached its AAA record, about $6.53.
4. November 3, 2026 — AAA reported regular gas at $4.15 and diesel at $6.29 on Election Day.

Sources and visual credits

AAA Oregon/Idaho: November 3 price report · AAA national gas price tracker · The Daily Beast: Election Day gas prices.

Visual: conceptual editorial illustration of a generic gas pump and ballot; not a photograph of an actual station or event.