You have a point and I know I'm stereotyping, but (and I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you), what I've found is that more often than not, those people who aren't known, aren't as involved within the school community. I mean, if you were involved in clubs, competitions, teams, etc offered within the school, then chances are, you have formed/ or have been given the opportunity form, more solid relationships with people from both your grade and different grades, than someone who hasn't participated in all these activities. So I would say it's fair to have student representatives who do shift more towards more the enthusiastic/ willing to participate in all ECs type. If anything, I don't actually see the point of intellect (other than sensibility which ~usually~ follows intellect). I mean- it's not really going to help much with communication if you're book smart but socially awkward. Popularity shouldn't be the key criteria for being elected, but attributes typically associated with popularity, can give someone a well-deserved advantage.
It is sad that students who have greater vision might not get in - but honestly, if you really think about it, there's not much a high schooler can do in terms of vision. And there are other ways of getting that vision/ideal across, than being a leader.
And you should be proud of yourself!
Any leadership position looks good in applications.