It just does not compute!  ..

I live and vote in San Bernardino County, and work in Riverside County of California. At the same time as Obama was giving his acceptance speech on the East Coast, our polls where just closing.  No California Votes yet counted.  At 6:32 A.M.  On the morning of November 5th, 2008, on the local news, our registrar of voters said that the absentee ballots were the only votes counted and reported so far. What about the paper ballots of all the people that stood in line for hours.  California has 55 Electoral votes. How can they say that California voted for Obama at that time when the polls has just closed and millions of "paper" ballots were still to be counted. The Registrar of voters, said that all the ballots would not be completed until maybe Thursday, Nov 6th.

As of 6:30 A.M. Thursday November 6th. 2008, on the local news , Riverside County had a reported record of 840,000 votersof which only 48% had been counted.  This does not include San Bernardino County Ballots.

This is what just does not compute in my mind!

1) In the area that I live in, San Bernardino County, the ballots had to be shipped to a location at least 50 miles away to be officially counted. The area of Riverside County that I work in, as well had to ship the ballots to an official location about 50 miles away. This adds at least an hour to the process of counting. Since the electoral college are supposed to base their votes on the popular vote results, and the popular votes are not completely counted, how can they declare a winner for California when over a million votes aren't yet in?

2) If Obama had 52% of the vote, and McCain had 48% of the vote, what happened to the other votes that exceeded 2004's "other and Write-In"� votes. Where are those statistics?

3) If it takes 2 plus days to count the ballots just for my county, then why are propositions passing, and government officials being reported as winners before all ballots have been processed?

4) If this is happening in my area, and I am on the West Coast and there is a bit of land between me and the East Coast, Just how many counties have reported and either passed or revoked propositions, government officials or anything, before all ballots have been counted.

5) It seems to be those 55 electoral votes could have altered the announced results.

I am a hard working American man, just trying to keep ahead. I never went to college. I have voted every time for the last 18 years, Local and other. I was tired of hearing "if you don't vote don't complain". It has only been the last 12 years that I have paid attention. Though I would like to believe that our system works, I say that all is rigged. Also if my vote is not going to be counted then why:

1.) Are the candidates spending so much time and money, when all that money could go to better use.

2.) Am I voting?

Can someone explain our system to me that makes since, because I am lost? 

Thank You,

Spiritwolve