Data presented in the 1991 report does not clearly indicate that weather is a significant factor in voter turnout. That conclusion appears to be supported by the fact that in May 2001 5.4% of the checklist voted at the all-day balloting portion of the Town Meeting when the weather was reasonable. Contrary to expectations, in March 2001 more people - approximately 7.9% of Hanover voters, according to the Valley News - voted at a Dresden School District all-day balloting, which took place during very bad weather. It should also be noted that there were several controversial issues on that ballot.

Hanover’s Town Meeting time was changed in the mid-90s from March to May, when the weather is generally better. Nevertheless, attendance has continued to decline.

As stated in the 1991 report, "The Supervisors of the Checklist try to update the list each year, but every ten years an intensive purge of inactive names occurs, as required by New Hampshire State law… This results in a larger than usual drop in the number of registered voters every ten years." The 2001 purge of the checklist has reduced the number of registered voters from approximately 7,477 to 5,300.

Contested elections are rare in Hanover. In 1998 a new candidate ran against a long-term incumbent for Select Board. 17.4% of the checklist voted, in comparison with 6.4% (1996) and 9.7% (1997) in the preceding two years and 9.6% (1999) and 7.7% (2000) in the following two years. This may indicate greater public interest in the contested election, but the data are not conclusive. A compilation of regularly-scheduled municipal and school board meetings and filing deadlines for elective office candidates and warrant articles results in a list of at least 150 official dates during the year, excluding extra meetings, continuances, meetings of several smaller committees, and unforeseen events. Even with focused interest on one issue or process to the exclusion of others, citizens often face a difficult task to discover the time, location and agenda of specific meetings. For the person who prefers to actively follow the processes of town and school governments, the number of relevant dates on the "Short List" of eleven official dates is still large and complex.

The effects of the increase of two working parents in the community, of the number of retirees in Hanover, and of the increased mobility of many people have not been researched, but they are assumed to have some impact on voting. Other factors may be identified and quantified in the community survey which the League proposes to undertake in 2002. But it is already clear that the public needs to have dates on the calendar well in advance, and absentee voting should be encouraged.

Although the League study group concludes that controversial issues and contested elections tend to increase the number of voters, no detailed data has been developed reflecting more precise reasons for low voter turnout and the generally low levels of candidacy for elective and appointed offices in Hanover. It is hoped that the citizen survey will give more insight.

Speaking for the country as a whole, the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate states that declines in voting stem from "a decreasing hold of the idea of civic duty and involvement. The root of the turnout problem is motivational and not procedural…. But…reforms would improve the Election Day experience, enhance the integrity of the registration and election process and create greater confidence in the election day experience, all of which are worthy goals."