This is an example from the "vorto de la tago" service: Mi jam ne povas ŝanĝi mian opinion, ĉar mi jam metis mian balotilon en la balotujon. Is it correct to have the -n on the final word?

roncufley:This is an example from the "vorto de la tago" service: Mi jam ne povas ŝanĝi mian opinion, ĉar mi jam metis mian balotilon en la balotujon. Is it correct to have the -n on the final word?

Yeah. Basically what it's saying is "into the ballot box".

When used with things like "en", the -n on the next work sort of gives the idea of direction (or simply stands in for another preposition so you don't have two of them at once), so en + -n = into.

(sometimes this -n actually takes on the meaning of "too" without any preposition when there's no chance of misunderstanding, or when a preposition might make things more complex or harder to understand. So "unu la alian" = one another, sort of like saying "one with/to the other".)

I don't know how extensively applicable that technique is though, for example I wouldn't know what "el balotujon" would mean, if anything (maybe "out from the ballot box?"). So if you're ever unsure, try to keep things to "en -n" and other simple, easy to think of constructions

ceigered:I wouldn't know what "el balotujon" would mean, if anything (maybe "out from the ballot box?")

It would be wrong, as "el" already shows direction, as do "al", "ĝis" and "de". Use of -n on those words adds nothing.

PMEG says "Tiuj rolvortetoj neniam montras pozicion. Post ili oni ne uzu N-finaĵon"

No problems then with el, thanks Tommjames!