The most common mistake on campaign print is trying to say everything. A yard sign crammed with five priorities says nothing, because a voter driving past absorbs none of them. The fix is a discipline as old as campaigning: pick three messages, and put them on everything. Here's how.

Why Three

People remember short lists. Three priorities are enough to define what you stand for and few enough that a voter can actually recall them. Two feels thin; five feels like a policy paper. Three is the sweet spot that fits on a palm card back and sticks in memory.

Choosing Your Three

• Lead with what voters care about — not your personal passion, but the issue at their doorstep
• Make them concrete — "safer streets" beats "public safety leadership"
• Keep them short — a few words each, readable in one glance

Match the Message to the Format

Not every piece carries all three. A yard sign carries just your name and office — that's it. The three messages live on the palm card, the mailer and the flyer, where a voter has a few seconds more. The banner behind you at events carries one. Right message, right surface.

Repetition Is the Point

The same three lines on your cards, your mailers and your flyers isn't lazy — it's how memory works. A voter who sees the same three priorities four times remembers them; a voter who sees twelve different points remembers none.