The California State Auditor promotes the effective and efficient administration and management of public funds and programs by providing citizens and government nonpartisan, accurate, and objective assessments of state and local governments' financial and operational activities. As the independent auditor, the California State Auditor is the only state entity that the law grants full access to all records of state and local agencies, special districts, school districts, and any publicly created entity. The State Auditor conducts performance, financial, or compliance audits that are either mandated by statute or requested by the Legislature through the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. Further, the State Auditor is responsible for annually conducting California's statewide Single Audit-a combination of the independent audit of State's basic financial statements and the independent audit of numerous federal programs administered by California. The Single Audit is federally required as a condition for California to receive billions in federal funds each year.

The California State Auditor also identifies statewide issues or specific government entities as at high risk for waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement or that have major challenges related to efficiency and effectiveness. The State Auditor has the authority to conduct evaluations of those issues and entities identified as being high risk. Additionally, under the California Whistleblower Protection Act, the California State Auditor's office has broad authority to perform independent investigations into complaints that state employees or agencies have engaged in improper conduct. The State Auditor's office administers California's Whistleblower Hotline that enables the public to report improper acts committed by state agencies, departments, or employees, as defined by law.

The Voters FIRST Act (Act), approved by voters in November 2008 as Proposition 11, requires the State Auditor to initiate an application process for selecting the members of a 14-member Citizens Redistricting Commission (Commission) every ten years. The State Auditor develops regulations to implement the application and selection process of the Commission and conducts comprehensive outreach to prospective applicants to serve on the Commission. Using the new national census data, the Commission will be responsible for redrawing district lines for the California Senate, Assembly, and the State Board of Equalization.