Here’s how the Republicans can stop Donald Trump at a brokered convention

Normally, the Republican National Convention is a mere formality. The primary voters pick the presidential nominee, who in turn picks the vice presidential nominee and then the convention officially ratifies both choices. Delegates can mostly go sightseeing in the host city by day and listen to political speeches at night.

There is nothing normal about the 2016 Republican presidential race, currently being won by real estate developer and reality television star Donald Trump. July’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland may be no exception: it could actually play a meaningful role in choosing the party’s presidential candidate this time.

Candidates win and lose the primary and caucus election happening all over the United States, which is why Trump traipses to New Hampshire and Ted Cruz eats fried food on a stick at Iowa state fairs. But their real purpose is to allocate convention delegates who technically vote for the presidential and vice presidential nominees.

If there is a contested convention, these delegates will have more than a technical or formal role in the process.