You’re probably hearing a lot about delegates in regard to the 2008 presidential primaries. But what is a delegate?

Delegates are similar to electors in the electoral college in that when a candidate wins a state’s primary or caucus, that candidate wins that state’s delegates. These delegates then vote for that candidate at the party’s national convention.

A Democratic candidate needs 2,025 out of 4,049 possible delegates to win the nomination. A Republican candidate needs 1,191 out of 2,380 delegates. The candidate who receives the majority becomes the party’s nominee for president.

The Democratic National Convention will be held in August in Denver, Colo. The Republican National Convention will be held in September in Minneapolis, Minn.