Section 47. Nomination papers for use in the nomination of candidates to be voted for at state primaries shall be prepared, and on request furnished, by the state secretary. Nomination papers for use in the nomination of candidates for all offices shall be available for use on or before the fifteenth Tuesday preceding the date for filing as provided in section forty-eight, except in the case of primaries before special elections. In no case shall any blank forms for such nominations be larger than eight and one half inches by fourteen inches, nor shall anyone be prohibited from making exact copies of such forms provided by the secretary of state for the purpose of collecting signatures for such nominations, nor shall any such copies be rejected for certification or submittal to the secretary of state.