Drivers continue to face elevated gas prices, a significant concern for voters as they head to the polls on Election Day. The national average price for a gallon of gas stands at $4.14, an increase of $1.16, or 38%, since February, according to AAA data.

Fuel costs differ across the country, particularly in key states where races are expected to decide control of Congress. Among 16 competitive states identified by ABC News, 11 currently have gas prices below the national average.

Alaska, which is among these competitive states, has the highest gas prices with an average of $4.75 per gallon. In contrast, North Carolina has the lowest average price at $3.38 per gallon within this group. All 16 states have experienced substantial increases in gasoline prices over the past year, largely attributed to oil supply shortages stemming from the Iran war.

North Carolina saw the smallest price increase, with its average gas price rising 23% compared to a year ago. Michigan, however, experienced the largest jump, with prices soaring more than 50%. Ten of these 16 states have seen gas prices increase by at least 40% year-over-year.

Despite the overall elevated prices, a recent decline in oil prices has offered some relief at the pump over the past week. West Texas Intermediate futures, a U.S. trading benchmark, registered around $96.30 a barrel on Monday, an almost 8% drop. This downward trend in oil prices has continued into Tuesday.

Seasonal factors are also contributing to falling prices as demand decreases with the end of summer travel. Patrick De Haan, a petroleum analyst at GasBuddy, noted that this has led to one of the most significant price declines since earlier in the summer. The national average has fallen 12 cents in the past week.

Six of the 16 competitive Senate states have seen gas prices drop by at least 10 cents over the last week. Michigan's average price decreased by 30 cents, Ohio's by 29 cents, and Iowa's by 18 cents during this period. However, even with this recent decrease, gas prices remain significantly higher than they were a year ago.