VI, Section 18 of the Missouri constitution. Within the County are ninety cities, towns and villages, which are referred to by the parties as the incorporated area. The remainder of the County is unincorporated. Because of its charter county status, the County government provides a number of municipal services within the unincorporated area. These services include police protection, health and community services, planning and zoning (including a comprehensive development plan), public works, parks and recreation, and road and highway planning, development and maintenance. The County is authorized to provide these services by its charter and by Article VI, Section 18(c) of the Missouri Constitution. Gene McNary, the County Executive, is also a plaintiff. The other five plaintiffs are registered voters who reside within the unincorporated area of theCounty. The plaintiffs are challenging the constitutionality of the election provisions in two Missouri annexation statutes, §§ 71.015 and 71.870, R.S.Mo.Cum.Supp.1983.
Among the defendants are seven municipalities, six of which are located within the County. These six include the City of Town and Country and the City of Eureka, the two defendant cities mentioned previously. The seventh municipality, St. Charles, is outside of and adjacent to the County. Each of these municipalities has annexed or is in the process of annexing unincorporated territory located within the County. Each of the six municipalities within the County has held or will hold an annexation election pursuant to § 71.870 (or a similar predecessor statute), which sets forth the procedure for annexation elections held by County municipalities. St. Charles also has held