ST. LOUIS • Three St. Louis County Council members and four voters filed suit Thursday in federal court here, asking a judge to redraw election districts before February.

The suit, filed against the St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners, follows the failure of the county's Reapportionment Commission to redraw the district boundaries last month. The boundaries are supposed to be redrawn by the seven Democrats and seven Republicans to equally divide the population as reflected in the 2010 Census.

Neither side could agree on the size of the 5th District.

The suit says that with districts in limbo, potential candidates can't decide whether and where to run for office. The suit asks a judge to come up with a plan before Feb. 28, the first day candidates for the county council can file for election.

The suit was filed by three Democratic council members — Patrick Dolan, Michael O'Mara, and Steven Stenger — and voters Mary Sanders, Vincent Sansone, Jasmina Vajzovic and Keith Walston.

The commission hasn't been successful in redrawing the boundaries since the 1970 census.