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Abstract

The decline in civic engagement among college students poses a significant threat to democratic society, with youth electoral participation dropping from 50% in 2020 to 42% in 2024. This study presents a comprehensive communication-based framework designed to increase student voting participation at Illinois State University through theoretically grounded persuasive strategies. Drawing from established persuasion theories including Cialdini’s Principles of Persuasion, the Theory of Planned Behavior, the Elaboration Likelihood Model, and repetitive frequency effects, this research addresses structural, informational, and motivational barriers that prevent student electoral participation.

The proposed strategic framework encompasses three interconnected approaches: (1) behavioral positioning and target segmentation based on students’ voting history and intentions; (2) comprehensive media saturation and amplification using campus newspapers, social media platforms, e-commerce partnerships, and audio campaigns; and (3) leveraging institutional authority within educational spaces. These strategies specifically target students during optimal reception periods at locations such as gyms, student centers, and campus quads, while employing repetitive messaging across multiple communicative channels to reduce cognitive resistance and facilitate peripheral processing of persuasive content.

The multi-platform approach recognizes that modern students engage with information through diverse media ecosystems requiring equally diverse persuasive techniques. Post-election survey methodology will evaluate strategy effectiveness by measuring actual voting participation among the target demographic. This comprehensive framework offers significant implications for higher education institutions seeking to enhance democratic participation, while contributing to the broader understanding of effective civic engagement strategies in contemporary society.

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