US Midterm Elections 2026: Gas prices hit record $4.12 per gallon on Election Day as Americans head to polls

Average US gas prices topped $4 a gallon for the first time on an election day. Voters heading out to vote on Tuesday met with an unpleasant surprise as they paid more at the petrol pumps than on any Election Day on record, reports Scripps News. The national average for regular gasoline hit $4.12 a gallon, and diesel reached $6.28, according to GasBuddy. Both are the highest national averages ever recorded on an Election Day.

That is more early votes than in any previous midterm, said Michael McDonald, a University of Florida political science professor who runs the lab's early voting tracker. "We beat that number which was about 46 million in 2022 by quite a bit," McDonald told Scripps News.

ALSO READ: What time do voting polls close today?


That is the backdrop as Americans head to the polls to decide which party will control Congress. For many voters, the rising cost of everyday essentials, including fuel, groceries and housing, has become a key election issue. More than 60 million people had already cast their ballots before polling stations opened on Tuesday.

Gas prices climb to record high on election day

The average gas price as of Monday is $4.17, according to data from AAA. That is roughly 37 cents higher than prices heading into the 2022 midterm election, which held the previous record for an Election Day. This also applies to diesel, which now costs $6.28 per gallon, which is also the highest average ever on a U.S. Election Day.

ALSO READ: When will results be announced and what happens to Trump if Republicans lose control of Congress

Who is winning midterm elections 2026?

Democrats have an 82% chance of taking control of the US Senate in this week's midterm elections, according to analyst Nate Silver's forecast model. They are also strong favourites to win control of the House of Representatives. Over the past week, the forecast has shifted clearly in favour of Democrats in the Senate.

The results could become clear by Wednesday afternoon in Australia. This will show whether Democrats have managed to take control of Congress from Republicans. However, the final outcome is still uncertain.

Democrats are leading Republicans by 9.4 percentage points in the generic ballot. This measures support for candidates from both parties across the country. President Donald Trump's net approval rating stands at -20.4, although it has improved from below -24.

If Republicans perform better than expected, the recent fall in petrol prices since late September could help them. However, the stock market has also fallen over the past two trading sessions.

All 435 federal House of Representatives seats and 35 of the 100 Senate seats are up for election in Tuesday’s midterm elections, with results coming in Tuesday night on the US east coast. In the 2024 elections, Republicans won the House by 220–215 over the Democrats and the Senate by 53–47. Due to Vice President JD Vance’s tie-breaking vote, Democrats need at least a net four-seat gain to win control of the Senate.

When will polling close in US?

At 10am, the first polls close in the eastern time zones of Indiana and Kentucky. Early counting there will give observers an idea of how much damage Democrats are doing to Republicans in their rural strongholds

At 11am, polls close in South Carolina and Florida’s eastern zone. Counting in Florida will be fast. In South Carolina, Republican incumbent Senator Darline Graham leads Democrat Annie Andrews by 1.3 points in Silver’s aggregate, and in Florida, Republican incumbent Senator Ashley Moody leads Democrat Angie Nixon by 5.9 points

At 11:30am, polls close in Ohio, where Democrat Sherrod Brown leads Republican incumbent Senator Jon Husted by 3.0 points

At noon, polls close in Maine and in Texas’, Kansas’ and Michigan’s eastern zones.

In the Texas Senate race, Democrat James Talarico leads Republican Ken Paxton by 3.5 points; in Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton leads Republican incumbent Senator Roger Marshall by 3.3 points; in Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed leads Republican Mike Rogers by 4.7 points; and in Maine, Democrat Troy Jackson leads Republican incumbent Senator Susan Collins by 4.0 points

At 1pm, polls close in Iowa, Nebraska and Louisiana. In Iowa’s Senate race, Democrat Josh Turek leads Republican Ashley Hinson by 0.7 points. In Nebraska, Republican incumbent Senator Pete Ricketts leads independent Dan Osborn by 0.8 points (without a Democrat in the race). In Louisiana, Republican Julia Letlow leads Democrat Jamie Davis by 3.9 points

At 4pm, polls close in Alaska’s eastern time zone, with polls closing in the western part of the state an hour later. Democrat Mary Peltola leads Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan by 2.6 points.

(With agency inputs)