Gas prices reach record high for an Election Day

Gas prices today are at a record high for an Election Day, hovering at an average of $4.11 a gallon nationally as of Tuesday afternoon, according to GasBuddy.

The previous record for Election Day gas prices was set in 2022, with an average of around $3.75 per gallon, U.S. government data shows. The figures are not adjusted for inflation.

Gas prices have become a central focus of the midterm cycle as voters express frustration with the Trump administration for rising fuel costs due to the Iran war.

Prices are elevated because of Iranian obstruction and attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical Gulf waterway through which a large quantity of the world’s oil must pass to leave the region. While more oil is getting out of the strait than at the start of the Iran war, prices have remained high in the U.S.

Paying more at the pump could hurt Republicans on the final day of midterm election voting. Cost of living and the economy are among President Trump’s worst issues, worse than his overall approval rating.

A tracker by analyst Nate Silver shows Trump polling at an average of 24 percent approval on inflation, with nearly 70 percent of survey respondents disapproving of how he has handled an issue that was a focal point of his 2024 campaign.

Decision Desk HQ, a partner of The Hill, shows Trump’s approval at a net negative 20 points.

Cost of living and inflation are also top issues for voters in the midterms. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that nearly half of voters rank cost of living as the most important issue to their vote, including similar shares of Republicans, Democrats and independents.

Throughout the midterm campaign, Trump has dismissed concerns about the rising cost of fuel.

In the early days of the war, Trump said high gas prices were a “ very small price to pay .” More recently, the president said he did not “ give a damn ” about high gas prices, because the U.S. is making money off of oil.