That "become a member" tab with options should be at the bottom to indicate you're confident they'll join after they see the site, or with very flashy colors and pretty marketing text with exclamation points after exiting texts talking about an aspect of joining that is easy. The way it feels is the same thing "if you agree with this message (not if you're just interested now), then join" does. Shut up when your product sells itself. Oversell and people run, and in this case, people coming to look for a distraction from their miserable lives don't want to see someone else asking something from them, or they'll be more likely to run.
Also, just because liberals do it, doesn't make it cool. Poll questions should be more "neutral", and make people think, not be "whose side are you on" questions, because 1. it feels completely insincere, 2. People will realize that they are just wasting time in their miserable day, and not feel like they just did a prestigious poll on the news that affects anything, 3. It doesn't give you any information of value to you, other than "do those that visit my website agree with me", which doesn't really matter anyways, as long as they come. Instead, an example of a poll question that makes people think that what is going through their head matters is like "Do you believe Israel should wait for aid in destroying Iran's nuclear bomb making program." Still has all the lovely bias, making it equally not a question, but a statement, but this way most people will be too dumb to realize they're being dicked around.
I had other things to say too, but I'm like in a blood rage right now, and want to be away from my one semi-valuable possession.