Did the townspeople want to change the tradition of the lottery?

There is little evidence to suggest that the villagers are interested in putting an end to the lottery and discontinuing the violent tradition. Despite the fact that various elements of the ritual have been lost to time, the community reveals its affinity for the tradition by refusing to replace the dilapidated black box, which is neglected and aging. The town's opinions regarding the lottery are also revealed by Old Man Warner's sentiments concerning the northern villagers' decision to discontinue the lottery. Old Man Warner refers to the civilized, tolerant northern villagers as a "pack of crazy fools" during his conversation with Mr. Adams. Another piece of evidence depicting the villagers' perception of the lottery is revealed by their reactions to Tessie Hutchinson's drawing. When she protests that Mr. Summers did not give her husband enough time to pick the slip of paper, her neighbors challenge her to accept her fate. They also comment that the ritual was fair and everyone participates in Tessie's stoning. Tessie Hutchinson is the only community member to challenge the tradition. The other villagers passively accept the senseless, barbaric ritual without blinking and are more than willing to participate in Tessie's stoning. The fact that her own family throws stones emphasizes the extent of the community's adherence to the barbaric tradition. Jackson illustrates the dangers of blindly following tradition by depicting the villagers’ insistence on carrying out the barbaric, senseless lottery each year.

For the most part, the villagers are strongly attached to the tradition of the lottery and are thus loath to change it. That said, cosmetic changes have been made over the years. Once upon a time, the swearing-in ceremony of the presiding official used to be accompanied by the recital of some tuneless chant—not anymore. However, the lottery itself, rather than its paraphernalia, is what really matters, and it hasn't changed in its most important aspects.
Mrs. Adams ruefully observes that some other villages have given up the tradition of holding lotteries, leading Old Man Warner to condemn the "pack of young fools." The suggestion here is that it's the younger generation in the neighboring villages who are responsible for getting rid of the old traditions. That would explain why the older generation, in this particular village, is so keen to hang on to the lottery—they feel that the world outside is changing for the worse, so they want to cling to those traditions that give their life meaning and purpose for as long as they possibly can.