A few Election Day facts about gasoline as voters decide between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney for president:
- The national average for a gallon of regular gas on Tuesday is $3.46 a gallon. That's an all-time high for Election Day, eclipsing last year's record of $3.41 a gallon. It's also 35 cents less than a month ago.
- The most expensive state is Hawaii at $4.27 a gallon, followed by Alaska at $4.12 and New York at $3.97. The least expensive is Missouri at $3.11. South Carolina is close at $3.14.
- Most of the key battleground states have gas prices below the national average. Colorado is the exception at $3.52. The average in Florida is $3.41. It's below $3.40 a gallon in Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Gas in each of those states is a few cents more expensive than this time last year, although it's also at least 20 cents cheaper than a month ago.
- For those thinking this election might resemble the deadlocked 2000 vote, the national average on Nov. 7, 2000, was $1.56 a gallon. That was up 20 percent from the start of the year. By comparison, gas has risen 6 percent so far this year from $3.28 on Jan. 1 (although it nearly hit $4 in early April).
- No matter whether Obama or Romney wins Tuesday, experts predict gas prices will keep falling until year end. AAA is forecasting an average price of $3.10 to $3.30 by Dec. 31.
