Will Putin remain in power in Russia? Is French president Nicolas Sarkozy headed for a second term? Who will call the White House home next January?
2012 will tell all as the world faces crucial presidential elections.
In France, Nicolas Sarkozy is battling socialist candidate Francois Hollande and right-wing Marine Le Pen for another five years in the Elysee.
Vladimir Putin is eying a third term as Russian president, hoping to replace current president and ally Dmitry Medvedev. Will Putin take home another sweeping victory, or will opposition candidate Mikhail Prokhorov prove himself a tough opponent?
Another term for Hugo Chavez in Venezuela? The flamboyant president is facing tough opposition from a new generation of anti-Chavez leaders who claim they have never been in a better position to defeat the Bolivarian leader. Additionally, the Venezuelan president continues to undergo cancer treatment.
Presidential elections in Senegal have been accompanied by street protests as one of the country's courts allowed president Abdoulaye Wade to run for a third term. Senegal's constitution was revised in 2001 to limit the presidency to two terms, but Wade argued that the law does not apply to him as he was elected before then. The court also refused to put popular artist Youssou 'N Dour on the ballot.
Below, see which countries are scheduled to hold elections and when: