In a previous paper it was shown that spatial changes in the high‐altitude magnetospheric electric fieldEwith ▽ ·E<0 can result in the generation of large‐scale ‘inverted V’ regions of auroral electron precipitation. In the present paper it is shown that smaller‐scale precipitation regions, as are required to account for discrete aurora, result from the basic analysis in the previous paper if appropriate structure is introduced in the high‐altitude electric field distribution. Using observations of electric fields and precipitating electrons from a rocket flight over discrete aurora the required structure in the electric field is inferred to exit at high altitudes along magnetic field lines connected to the aurora. By using this inferred high‐altitude electric potential distribution the ionospheric current continuity equation is solved for the ionospheric potential. The analysis assumes that the field‐aligned current is governed by single‐particle motion along field lines. The solution gives ionospheric potentials and precipitating electron energy fluxes in good quantitative agreement with those observed throughout the auroral rocket flight. The results in this and the previous paper imply that the ‘inverted V’ scale size (order of 200 km in width) is a natural result of the current versus electric potential relations along auroral field lines and in the ionosphere. This scale size need not be imposed by structure in the high‐altitude electric field distribution. Smaller‐scale (tens of kilometers) discrete auroral precipitation regions require the same current versus electric potential relations, but the scale size is imposed by structure in the high‐altitude electric potential distribution. The cause of this structure is not cons