A 'brokered convention' is a party convention in which the presidential candidates do not have enough delegates to win the nomination.

In this year's election, a Democratic candidate needs 2,205 delegates and a Republican 1,191.

The Republicans were concerned that they would be going into a brokered convention earlier in this election cycle. But it looks like the Democrats may be going into the convention without a candidate with 2,205 delegates.

This would be the first brokered convention since 1952.

There are a few reasons for this happening other than the strength of the two Democrats vying for the party nomination.

The Democratic National Committee rules ban 'winner take all' contests which forces all states to distribute delegates by percentage. In a race as close as the one between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, this distribution method ends up splitting each state's delegate counts.

The removal of the 366 delegates from Florida and Michigan for party rules violations and the resolution of this dilemma may play a part in deciding the outcome of this election (click here to read 'The Democrats' Florida-Michigan Dilemma').

Hillary Clinton's campaign wants the stripped delegates from these states to be distributed as voted in their elections. In Michigan, no candidates campaigned and only Clinton (56 percent), Kucinich (3 percent) and Gravel (1 percent) were on the ballot.

Florida had all candidates on the ballot but no active campaigning. Clinton received 49.8 percent of the vote to Obama's 32.9 percent. Clinton would therefore receive the majority of the delegates from both states if the delegates are seated as they were voted.

Both states have not released anything official at this point, but have been considering the logistics of holding DNC sanctioned caucuses.

Even more important to the resolution of this race are what are known as 'superdelegates.'

Superdelegates are unpledged party operatives and elected officials who are not bound by elections in their states. These superdelegates make up 20 percent (796 out of 4,049) of the total delegation for the Democratic National Convention and can sway the nomination, especially in a close race.

There is a lot of debate, even within the party, about whether the Democratic party should continue having superdelegates and what the repercussions could be if they decide who is the party's presidential candidate.

On the Republican side, a brokered convention is very unlikely as John McCain holds 812 delegates and need only 379 more to reach the 1,191 needed to clinch the nomination.

Mike Huckabee holds on to 199 delegates, but has expressed that he will stay in the presidential race until McCain reaches the 1,191 needed for the nomination.

---