Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton campaigns in South Dakota for the primary in the state, set for June 3. (Elise Amendola/Asssociated Press)

Hillary Clinton is hoping an appeal to a Democratic party rules committee Saturday will revive her campaign to become the party's candidate in November's U.S. presidential election.

Clinton is lagging behind Barack Obama in the contest but is hoping an appeal to the 30 members of the rules committee can give her a boost.

Last September, the party discounted 2.3 million primary votes in Florida and Michigan because the two states scheduled the votes in January, before the official beginning of the Democratic primary season on Feb. 5.

Clinton backed the party ruling at the time, saying, "It's clear this election they're having is not going to count for anything."

She won both states — Obama wasn't even on the ballot in Michigan — and now she's arguing that ignoring the votes is anti-democratic.

Compromise possible

The committee may seek a compromise Saturday, perhaps seating half of the two states' delegates at the convention, the CBC's Michael Colton reported. The Obama campaign would welcome that, but it won't satisfy Clinton supporters.

"Our position is very clear," Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said. "Florida and Michigan ought to be seated 100 per cent. We ought to honour the votes."

Clinton has been so eager to get the votes counted that she has compared it to electoral problems like the Florida presidential vote in 2000, when Republican candidate George W. Bush beat the Democratic challenger Al Gore by 537 votes out of six million cast, amid controversy about the count.

She's even compared it to the Zimbabwean presidential election, where there were allegations of vote fraud and violence.

Obama is currently ahead of Clinton by about 200 delegates, 1,984 to 1,782.