WASHINGTON — During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last week, Alabama Senator Katie Britt emphasized the importance of election integrity, advocating for measures like voter ID laws and proof of citizenship for voter registration. However, Britt has remained silent on the well-documented efforts by members of her own party to overturn the 2020 presidential election, a campaign that culminated in the violent January 6 Capitol attack.
Britt used the hearing to highlight her plans to reintroduce the Citizen Ballot Protection Act, which would allow states to require proof of citizenship for federal voter registration. She framed these measures as crucial to ensuring fair elections. Yet, while focusing on future election security, she avoided addressing the widespread falsehoods about voter fraud that fueled Republican attempts to subvert the 2020 election results.
Despite overwhelming evidence that the 2020 election was free and fair, Britt has not publicly acknowledged Joe Biden’s victory as legitimate. Her silence on this issue stands in stark contrast to her vocal advocacy for stricter voting requirements. Critics have pointed out that by refusing to confront her party’s role in undermining trust in elections, Britt risks appearing hypocritical—pushing for election integrity while ignoring the actions that most directly threatened it.
Britt’s approach reflects a broader trend among many Republican lawmakers who have avoided taking a clear stance on the legitimacy of the 2020 election. In Alabama, where former President Donald Trump remains a dominant political figure, such a position may be politically advantageous. Trump endorsed Britt during her 2022 Senate race after withdrawing support from her opponent, Mo Brooks, who had been one of the most vocal proponents of Trump’s election fraud claims.
As Britt continues to advocate for stricter voting laws, her silence on her party’s attempts to overturn a legitimate election raises questions about whether her calls for “election integrity” are truly about protecting democracy—or simply about advancing partisan goals.