So after testing the document in our real environment, I've come up with one last thing that I would like to have happen (there's a shock I know).

If longname1 has something entered then longname2 and longname3 do not need to be highlighted but they should still be able to have text entered into them. I liked how Greg handled the voteauth/voteauthin solution but this required locking voteauthin which won't work in the new scenario as users should still be able to enter text.

I have tried various iterations of Greg's code. I have been able to get longname2 and longname3 to turn white when exiting longname1 but as soon as I exit either of them the turn rose again if blank (by design). I haven't been able to come up with the logic for the exception.

I have noted what I am trying to have happen in the following code. I have also highlighted in red some code (although it doesn't work) the should illustrate what I am trying to have happen.

If this is too complicated then I will just live with what we have so far.

The reason for the splitting of the various name controls is beacuse I was messing around with ways to code this exception.

Also, shortname has a different invalid data requirement than the longnames which I fixed.

[VBA]Private Sub Document_ContentControlOnExit(ByVal CC As ContentControl, Cancel As Boolean)
Dim oRng As Word.Range
Dim oVoteAuth As Boolean
Dim oCC_Target As ContentControl
Dim oOtherCC As ContentControl
If ActiveDocument.ProtectionType <> wdNoProtection Then
ActiveDocument.Unprotect Password:="12345"
End If
Select Case CC.Tag

Case "longname1"
If fnc_InInvalidLong(CC) Then
Cancel = True
'CC.Range.Select
End If

Case "longname2", "longname3"
If fnc_InInvalidLong(CC) Then
Cancel = True
'CC.Range.Select
End If

Case "shortname"
If fnc_InInvalidShort(CC) Then
Cancel = True
'CC.Range.Select
End If

Case "voteauth"
'This is the CC that you are going to manipulate while processing the special case CC
'P.S. it would be nice if you used distintive titles and tabs (e.g., Voting Authority)
Set oCC_Target = ActiveDocument.SelectContentControlsByTag("voteauthin").Item(1)
If CC.Range.Text = "Jerry Lewis" Then
'You really don't even want the CC to show. To bad there isn't a CC.Visible property.
With oCC_Target
.LockContents = False
With .Range
.Text = " " 'So it isn't showing placeholder text
.Shading.BackgroundPatternColor = wdColorAutomatic
End With
'To deal with the shmucks.
.LockContents = True
End With
'Move to the next CC of interest
ActiveDocument.SelectContentControlsByTag("acmtype").Item(1).Range.Select
Else
With oCC_Target
.LockContents = False
With .Range
.Text = ""
.Shading.BackgroundPatternColor = wdColorRose
End With
End With
End If
End Select
'Why when leaving "longname1, 2, 3, or short name does the backgroud color change?
'Because we are now out of the Select Case statement that evaluated them specifically and are now evaluating them
'generally:
If CC.ShowingPlaceholderText = False Then
'Deal with "voteauthin"
If CC.LockContents = True Then
'Don't try to change it.
Else
CC.Range.Shading.BackgroundPatternColor = wdColorAutomatic
End If
Else
Select Case CC.Tag

'These cases should never be highlighted
Case "Date1", "Date2", "Date3"
CC.Range.Shading.BackgroundPatternColor = wdColorAutomatic

'These cases do not need to be highlighted if something has been entered in longname1. They should be able to have content entered in them
'should someone need more space than longname one so we cannot lock them like we did with voteauthin.
Case "longname2", "longname 3"
If CC.ShowingPlaceholderText = False Then
CC.Range.Shading.BackgroundPatternColor = wdColorAutomatic
Else

'If longname1 has something entered then do not highight longname2 or longname3 but also do not lock them
If ActiveDocument.ContentControls("longname1").ShowingPlaceholderText = False Then
CC.Range.Shading.BackgroundPatternColor = wdColorAutomatic
Else
CC.Range.Shading.BackgroundPatternColor = wdColorRose
End If
End If

Case Else
CC.Range.Shading.BackgroundPatternColor = wdColorRose
End Select

End If
End Sub[/VBA]