A punishment can often be used as a form of learning. By punishing the individual, he gets a chance to better understand the costs associated with doing such acts. At the same time, if it becomes public enough (or teachers decide to anonymize and make it a use case), others may get a chance to see an example of what not to do. The case can also be used by the school and other entities to improve security, etc.
The biggest loss of all would be to put it under the rug.
Punishments are effective at teaching people to not get caught. They put the offender on the defensive, which is a hard place to learn the right lessons from.
Or, treat this student as an individual and a real person, learn to not talk so condescendingly about others, and encourage this person to make constructive and better use of their rare and unique intellectual capabilities and work ethic.
You attract more flies with honey than vinegar. Good luck to the society whom discourages young outside-the-box thinkers and bright minds from pursuing intellectual passions within STEM. This is a huge problem in the US and it's culture around education.
> Treat this student as an individual and a real person
Treat everyone else as an individual and real person. If this were not what amounted to a pointless election and therefore a dumb prank, there could be real consequences. Some jackass screwed around with his high school election, sure, I don't think a severe punishment is in order. Suspension? Detention? Sure, whatever.
You think that individual's individuality is supposed to somehow put him in front of everyone else affected by his actions? Or is it the fact that someone is interested in STEM, that makes them special?
There is sometimes a victim of actions (in this case, other people running, other people voting). You write as if they don't matter or exist.
The biggest loss of all would be to put it under the rug.