for representation in the legislative assembly b.c. is segmented into 87 electoral districts. each one of these ridings elects one candidate to become its member of the legislative assembly (mla) in a first past the post race contained within the electoral district. patterns of voting established by the right-wing predecessors of the bc liberal party, the bc social credit party and the wartime liberal-conservative coalition dominated provincial politics for much of the latter part of the twentieth century and enjoyed power bases on vancouver's west side, victoria's richer suburbs, on the south bank of the fraser valley and in the okanagan and the province's central interior and northeast. the new democratic party has traditionally drawn its support from more urbanized areas such as vancouver and victoria, as well as the north coast and northwest interior, plus the mining towns of the kootenays and key areas of vancouver island. swing areas include the bc interior, certain urban areas within the lower mainland (like surrey) and certain rural areas (like in southeastern bc).