The analysis of in situ plasma electron observations in the Io plasma torus by the plasma science experiment during the Voyager 1 encounter with Jupiter is presented in terms of two components: a thermal (c) Maxwellian component and suprathermal (H) non‐Maxwellian component of the electron distribution function. Average electron temperatures are Te < 1 eV in the cold torus (L < 5.5), with Te ≃ 5–6 eV in the hot torus (5.5 < L < 7.6); Te rises abruptly to Te ≃ 30 eV just outside the hot torus (L > 7.6) and then continues to rise to Te > 100 eV at r > 12 RJ. In the cold torus the density ratio of the suprathermal component nH to that of the cold component nc was <10−4; but in the hot torus, nH/nC ∼ 10−3 was observed, and outside the torus, nH/nc can exceed 10−1. We present evidence that suprathermal electrons are locally produced in the hot torus. Throughout the hot torus the electron temperature Te is a factor of 10 less than the thermal ion temperature. A large difference in the hot electron pressure PH is observed between the inbound and the outbound data which is interpreted as a latitudinal gradient with PH being a maximum at the magnetic equator. If one imposes the theoretical and observational constraint that (T⊥/T∥)EQ ≤ 2 for the hot electrons, then one requires the presence of a parallel electric field E∥ > 2.5 µV/m which exceeds the ambipolar electric field E∥ < 1 µV/m produced by the centrifugally confined ions. However, if unacceptable charge imbalances in the thermal plasma are not to occur from this larger E∥, then sufficient wave turbulence in the plasma must be present to adequately scatter the thermal electrons. We infer the presence of a neutral corona around Io from the observed decrease and symmetry with respect to Io of Tc. The energy input to the torus by charge exchange and ionization in this neutral corona followed by pickup is ∼2 × 1011 W, substantially less than the EUV luminosity. In the hot torus, suprathermal electrons contribute significantly to the ionization of the more highly ionized ions (O+, O2+, S2+, and S3+).