YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Known for its classic burgers and irrestistable wings, Royal Oaks is not only Youngstown's oldest bar, it's a community hub, where people of all backgrounds go to unwind.

"Royal Oaks is a staple if you want good like homemade fair fries and you want some good wings and just company and laughter," Channel Crunkleton says. "Yes, this is the place to go."

"I like it because it's very diverse and inclusive," Tracy Randall says. "This is kind of like the melting pot of the Eastside of Youngstown, and it's just anything goes and anybody can come in here, and Johnny and Louie make everyone in here feel comfortable when they come in and appreciate everybody's business."

It's also the latest stop in our political series, Voters' Viewpoints, where the voices from this iconic bar are a powerful reminder that every vote counts.

When you vote, you vote from the heart," John Vivo, a Royal Oaks regular says. "That's the best thing you vote who you think is going to do the best job, who you want to be in there what you want. I want things to be good for the women. I want everybody to get some money, make the money that they deserve to be. Take care of the veterans who are living in the homeless and don't take care of all the other people that don't need to be taken care of."

Vivo says he doesn't vote for a particular party - but rather looks at the candidates as individuals.

"There's very few times to ever vote for the party before the person, but I'm usually voting for the person and all that," Vivo says. "They don't have to be a Democrat. They don't have to be Republicans. I want to be the vote for the person that's going to do the best for everybody."

While sitting in her booth, Tracy Randall talked about what she wants in a leader.

"I'm looking for somebody who is going to be honest, and I know that's an oxymoron, an honest politician, but I watch, I try to be very vigilant in seeing what your issues are, what your platform is, and if that matches up with my values and what I would like for myself and my neighborhood, my city and the valley," Randall says. "So, I look for similar values on the platform for the politician. And I don't vote straight Republican or straight Democrat, I actually look at the candidate, I hear what they have to say, and then I make my, you know, private picks in the voter's booth, you know, based on what I found out and researched on the candidates."

Randall is also passionate about reducing the impact of partisan politics.

"I believe that party politics has no place in our local government. I really do feel strongly against that, and that more people would come out if it wasn't so partisan to either run or to vote, because we do have, we have a problem in Youngstown where a lot of people don't vote, and I think that if we remove the party politics from our candidates, that that might encourage people to come out."

Channel Crunkleton also weighs in on the characteristics our leaders should have.

"I'm looking to see who is going to actually beat the pavement," Crunkleton says. "Not just saying that this is what they're going to do, but does their track record actually involve that? Can we track it on the data sheets of what taxpayers have paid for? And then also, I look at what, you know, the media is funny, and they like to post little snippets, and we don't know if it's true or AI, but I like to look at exactly what the person stands for, and then their overall rapport with the communities that they've impacted already."

Crunkleton thoroughly advocates for researching candidates platforms before making a decision.

"Take a moment to actually read the candidate's proposal. And then once you read those things, then you make an informed decision on what you believe according to how you feel one way or another. And don't just go about what somebody is saying, but read it and find out what you should vote on, that's what I believe."

Co-owner John Kennedy says his biggest concern are the local elections.

"I'm not as concerned with who my president is," Kennedy says. "It's this local election. Those are the guys that are going to impact me personally. I don't really care how the top goes, because very rarely either side does it really trickle to me here, you know."

A business owner for 23 years, Kennedy wants a leader whose willing to have a personal relationship.

"One that answers your phone calls. You know, when you call them, you get an answer, one that will actually stop around once in a while and check in with you, say, hey, what can we do? Send an email out, meet with your constituents once in a while. I love that, you know."

At Royal Oaks, politics isn't just a topic of conversation, it's woven into the fabric of the place and if there's one thing they all agree on, it's that every vote counts and every voice matters.

"I just wish that people would come out and vote," Randall says. "I encourage people to come out and vote, because it's a privilege. You know, people died for that privilege. You know, our veterans, and I'm a strong believer in giving our veterans their due diligence, but people need to come out and vote, and that's so important. Can't stress it enough, but that's how we change things around here."

"Vote. I would say vote because you are the deciding factor," Crunkleton says. "Yes, everything determines on the electoral votes, but as a U.S. citizen, you are the deciding factor of what can push the electoral decision. So, if you don't vote, you're silent. It doesn't matter what you say, but if you do vote, you've made a stance on whatever you personally believe. No one should influence that. That's something that you should read on, and you should persuade yourself to say, hey, I'm going to pick one way or another, and that's just how I feel. Yes. Go vote."

"I mean, my father was an ex-vet," Kennedy says. "I mean guys, literally, who came here from Italy and these other countries that came here and went and fought against their own kind. And WWII, you can't that's, everybody should vote. Everybody should vote. And you know what's funny is, in Greece, they used to have a rule that driving a car is not a right, that's a privilege, and if you miss too many elections, they revoke your license because you're not a good citizen. Now, that would never fly over here, but that's how important voting is. Everybody needs to get out. Vote early. Get it in."