Hometown Voices: Economy, COVID-19, education driving Rocky Mount voters to the polls

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. (WTVD) -- Once home to North Carolina's second-oldest cotton mill and longest continuous railroad, Rocky Mount is rich in history. It's home to more than 50,000 residents.

ABC11's Hometown Voices visited downtown, talking to voters about the issues most important to them; the issues that are driving them to the polls.

"Education for our area, make sure the funding is where it's supposed to be," said Rocky Mount resident Michael Jones, 35.

"I think just economically speaking, that that's one of the things," said Rocky Mount resident Joshua Jones, 25.

"Just to be able to have yourself be heard," said Rocky Mount resident Olivia Smith, 29. "I mean if you don't vote, nobody will know and you could have a certain opinion about a certain subject but if you don't vote, it won't get heard."

ASK US: What are your voting concerns or questions as Election Day approaches?

Rocky Mount falls in Nash and Edgecombe counties. In 2016, here's how those counties voted for president.

Nash County

Donald J. Trump -- 23,319 (48.92%)

Hillary Clinton -- 23,235 (48.75%)

Edgecombe County

Hillary Clinton -- 16,224 (65.19%)

Donald J. Trump -- 8,261 (33.2%)

Meredith Lascallette, 23, who works in Rocky Mount, plans to vote for President Donald Trump.

"Financially, economically, from both of those standpoints I definitely think that he can bring those jobs and continue to have those jobs for millennials like me to be able to just open the doors for America; to secure those borders, to not allow illegal--let's say that--illegal people come in and harm the world that we have built on from God," Lascallette said.

Jones is also voting for Trump.

"I just noticed that what Trump says is what he does," Jones said. "And that he has done some amazing things for America, especially economically, businesses, small businesses, things of that nature."

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Alvina Jenkins, 50, who works in Rocky Mount, said she doesn't think the President handled the COVID-19 pandemic well.

"He kept denying it at first, and then when it did hit then all of a sudden it was everyone else's fault but his," Jenkins said.

"I think it is more important that we get out and vote because of the way the government is going now. Some of the issues the president is not addressing."

Jenkins said she plans to vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and all Democratic candidates.

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That's also what Louis C. McLaurin, 69, an Air Force veteran, did. He voted by mail.

"I'm Biden, Kamala Harris," he said. "They are for the people."