The first Chairman of the Commission was the Hon. Dato' Dr. Mustafa Albakri bin Haji Hassan while the two members were Mr. Lee Ewe Boon and Mr. Ditt Singh.

Following the formation of Malaysia in 1963 and with the inclusion of the State of Sabah and Sarawak in the Federation, the members of the Election Commission were increased to three. The additional member was designated by administrative arrangement to represent Sabah and Sarawak on a rotation basis. Hon. Datuk Abang Haji Marzuki bin Nor from Sarawak was the first member to be appointed to represent the two East Malaysian States. In 1981 an amendment to Article 114 of the Federal Constitution was made to include a new post of a Deputy Chairman. Mr. Abdul Rahman bin Abu Hassan was the first person to hold the post of the Deputy Chairman. In carrying out its functions, the Election Commission set up a Secretariat headed by a Secretary, who also acts as the chief administrator of the Secretariat. The first Secretary to be appointed was Mr. H. Cassidy who served the Commission from 1957 to 1958.

At the time of its establishment in 1957 and until 1978, the Election Commission's Headquarters was operating from the Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, Jalan Clark, Kuala Lumpur. From 1978 to 1985, the Election Commission moved to Bangunan Yayasan Selangor, in Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. The Commission again changed office in 1985 to Bangunan Tong Ah, Jalan P. Ramlee and remained there until 1988. From 1988 the Commission was involved in another transfer to Level 5-8, Menara Bank Pembangunan, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur and remained in that place until November 2000 when it moved to its present locality in Putrajaya.