For national issues, yeah, sure, I think you are correct. But for local and state issues? No way. Most of the issues you can get on a ballot are very local and have just as large, if not a larger effect on the cost of living of many people. For example, California has Prop13. This was a ballot initiative that caused your property taxes to be assessed ONLY at the sale of the property. In Arizona, it's every 5 years for reassessment. Prop13, arguably, hurts new home buyers much more than older settled owners as their taxes will be much higher, especially in SV.

In Colorado the Right-Left divide is real and is mostly a North (Boulder-Democrat) v. South (Colorado Spring, Republican), but pales in comparison to water rights. You want politics in Colorado, hell most big western states? It is ALL about water.